ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - European Union lawmakers and member states have reached a provisional agreement on new migration rules aimed at speeding up the return of people with no legal right to remain in the bloc, including provisions allowing transfers to return hubs outside the EU.
The agreement complements the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum, which is scheduled to begin implementation on June 12, according to the EU Council.
Under the new framework, member states will be able to transfer migrants and rejected asylum seekers to facilities in third countries through agreements with non-EU states. The legislation also seeks to strengthen cooperation among member states and establish more uniform return procedures across the bloc.
The deal follows months of discussions over broader EU migration reforms, including measures related to safe countries of origin and safe third countries. In January, EU institutions approved reforms aimed at making asylum procedures faster and more consistent across member states.
"We need an effective, modern and common return system," said Nicholas Ioannides, according to the European Council. He said the regulation would "speed up the return process and increase returns of persons who have no legal right to stay in the EU."
The European Commission proposed the legislation in March 2025 as part of efforts to complete the bloc's migration and asylum reform package. EU officials argue that existing return procedures are fragmented and ineffective, allowing many rejected asylum seekers to remain in member states.
Ioannides said the reforms would support "faster, more consistent asylum procedures" and strengthen the implementation of the EU migration pact.
The new rules have drawn criticism from rights groups, which argue that transferring migrants to facilities outside the EU could raise legal and humanitarian concerns. Supporters, however, say the measures are necessary to improve enforcement of migration decisions and reduce pressure on national asylum systems.
The issue is closely watched in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region, whose citizens have been among asylum applicants in several European countries over the past decade. Migration experts say stricter EU asylum and return procedures could affect future applicants from Iraq, particularly those whose claims are rejected.
According to the latest annual report by the European Union Agency for Asylum, Iraqis account for about 21 percent of repeat asylum applications in the EU, indicating a significant number of applicants reapplying after receiving a final decision on their cases.
Ioannides said the reforms would support "faster, more consistent asylum procedures" and contribute to the implementation of the EU migration pact.
The new return rules have drawn criticism from rights groups, which argue that transferring migrants to facilities outside the EU could raise legal and humanitarian concerns. Supporters of the legislation, however, say the measures are necessary to improve enforcement of migration decisions and reduce pressure on national asylum systems.
The issue is closely watched in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region, whose citizens have been among asylum applicants in several European countries over the past decade. Migration experts say any tightening of EU asylum and return procedures could affect future applicants from Iraq, particularly those whose claims are rejected.
According to an annual report of the European Union Agency for Asylum (EUAA), Iraqis, including those from the Kurdistan region, account for around 21 percent of repeat asylum applications in the EU, indicating a significant number of cases where applicants reapply after a final decision.
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