ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - European Union leaders at the EU Summit in Brussels signed an “urgent” letter calling for the creation of so-called return centers outside the European Union today, with 19 countries signing in favor, while France and other member states opposed on the grounds that it is not “consistent with our principles.”
“As far as France is concerned, no to deportation centers or deportation hubs in third countries, because I do not believe that is efficient or consistent with our principles,” President of France Emmanuel Macron stated at the Summit.
“I will absolutely oppose the use of the European budget, and especially the budget for Europe's international policy, for the establishment of deportation centers,” stated Macron, maintaining that he is “in favor of a very strict immigration policy,” one that “combats illegal immigration, that makes us more efficient, and that leads to returns.”
The discussion comes as EU leaders have agreed to put migration on the EU agenda in a meeting this coming October, following an uptick in the number of migrants, some arriving illegally, from the Middle East and Africa in recent years. The law would facilitate the removal of migrants to a non-EU territory, based on an agreement with a third country.
Among those backing the proposal is Sweden, one of the signatories of the letter, who is “working intensively” to “ensure that rejected asylum seekers also leave Europe.”
"We are doing everything we can to reduce the migration cycle for Europe, especially the number of illegal and irregular migrants,” Ulf Kristersson, Prime Minister of Sweden, stated in the council.
While President Macron maintained that he “respects” that “it will be implemented” despite his opposition, the Swedish PM slammed France as the “one country in the region” that “is now doing exactly the opposite,” citing that it “increases the risks for other countries.”
A 2025 figure from The Returned Migrants Association of the Kurdistan Region estimates that “more than 148,000 people have migrated from the Region to European countries over the past 10 years.”
According to Eurostat, across all four quarters of 2025, the EU effectively returned over 130,000 non-EU citizens to third countries. In Q4 2025 alone, 33,860 people were returned, representing a 13% increase compared to the same period in 2024. Germany, France, and Sweden carried out the highest number of overall returns.
CORRECTION: An earlier version of this article wrongly reported that France was the only EU members rejecting the deportation centers.
