The issue of the return of irregular migrants from the EU to countries of origin or transit was discussed at the EU Council of Interior Ministers meeting today in Luxembourg.

During a working lunch, EU interior ministers explored “innovative solutions” to effectively deport migrants who have no right to stay in the EU.

The Commissioner for Home Affairs, Ylva Johansson, at the press conference shortly after the conclusion of the Council, stated that there is no official proposal for returns, neither from the Commission, nor from any country. “There is an ongoing discussion about how we can increase returns. It is an important discussion that we had today during the working lunch and it is an issue that President von der Leyen has included in the guidelines of the new Commission,” Ylva Johansson said, noting that the discussion has not yet gone into detail. He also underlined that the new Pact on Migration and Asylum, which will enter into force in mid-2026, does not include a legislative proposal for the revision of the return directive and that is exactly why “it is necessary for the new Commission to take new initiatives” on the issue this.

Asked about the controversial issue of “return hubs” in third countries, Commissioner Johansson declined to comment, saying it was not a Commission proposal. In a related question, the French Minister of the Interior, Bruno Retagier, said that he “does not rule out any solution in advance”.

According to a draft of the conclusions of next week’s summit, European leaders are expected to call for the “acceleration of returns from the EU”, as well as for new ways to prevent and deal with irregular migration, in accordance with international law. They will emphasize the need for greater cooperation with countries of origin and transit, “through mutually beneficial partnerships” and will call for effective control of the Union’s external land and sea borders through various available means.