EU Deportation Plans Draw Criticism, Echoing Concerns Over ICE Tactics
Brussels is facing mounting criticism over proposed new regulations aimed at increasing deportations across the European Union. More than 70 rights organizations have voiced alarm, warning that the measures risk replicating the aggressive enforcement tactics employed by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), potentially leading to widespread home raids, increased surveillance, and a rise in racial profiling.
The European Commission first laid out its proposal last March, seeking to streamline the deportation process for individuals without legal residency within the EU. A key component of the plan involves exploring the possibility of establishing offshore detention centers in non-EU countries – a move that has drawn particularly sharp condemnation from human rights advocates.
The draft regulation comes on the heels of gains made by far-right parties in the European Parliament elections, signaling a shift in political sentiment towards stricter immigration policies. The proposed changes are now under consideration by Members of the European Parliament (MEPs).
In a joint statement released on , the 75 organizations expressed deep concern that the plans, if enacted, would normalize and expand immigration enforcement measures across the continent. They argue that the proposals would consolidate a “punitive system” fueled by far-right rhetoric and based on “racialised suspicion, denunciation, detention and deportation.” The statement also draws a stark historical parallel, warning that “Europe knows from its own history where systems of surveillance, scapegoating and control can lead.”
While the European Commission has framed the proposals as “effective and modern procedures” designed to increase deportations of those denied asylum or who have overstayed their visas, critics point to the potential for overreach and abuse. The current rate of returns – with one in five individuals without legal residency being deported – has remained largely unchanged in recent years, raising questions about the effectiveness of existing measures.
Sweeping Powers and Concerns Over Due Process
The proposed regulations extend beyond simply increasing deportations. They include provisions that would allow police to search private homes for undocumented individuals without a judicial warrant, as well as “other relevant premises.” This prospect has raised fears of “ICE-like raids” not only in private residences but also in public spaces and workplaces, according to Michele LeVoy of the Platform for International Cooperation on Undocumented Migrants. “We cannot be outraged by ICE in the United States while also supporting these practices in Europe,” she stated.
the plans could compel public services – such as healthcare providers and schools – to report undocumented individuals, potentially deterring them from accessing essential services. Médecins du Monde, a humanitarian organization, highlighted the potential public health consequences of such a move, pointing to a current crisis unfolding in Minnesota where immigration crackdowns have led individuals to avoid seeking necessary medical care, even in emergencies.
Andrea Soler Eslava of Médecins du Monde explained the situation, stating, “Pregnant women, children and people with chronic illnesses simply avoid seeking essential health services, even in emergencies and when their lives are at risk. This represents unacceptable and can also cause serious public health issues.”
UN Raises Human Rights Concerns
The concerns extend beyond European advocacy groups. At the end of , 16 UN rights experts issued a 19-page letter to the EU outlining over a dozen concerns regarding the potential violation of international human rights obligations. The UN experts also questioned the underlying motivations of the proposals, suggesting they may be driven by a desire to scapegoat migrants for broader societal problems, such as the housing crisis.
The signatories of the recent joint statement echoed these concerns, highlighting draft measures that would facilitate the bulk collection of personal data and the increased sharing of this information among police forces across the EU. Alamara Khwaja Bettum of Statewatch warned that “Increasing surveillance, policing, and racial profiling will only fuel racism and a far-right agenda – not reduce migration.”
Disproportionate Impact on Racialized Communities
Emmanuel Achiri of the European Network Against Racism emphasized that the proposed regulations are likely to disproportionately impact racialized communities across Europe, potentially exacerbating existing patterns of discrimination. He argued that the measures represent “a direct and disproportionate attack on communities that are already marginalized and too often abandoned by policymakers.”
“Far from being a neutral migration measure, this proposal constitutes a direct and disproportionate attack on communities that are already marginalised and too often abandoned by policymakers,” Achiri said. “Measures of this kind have no place in a European Union that claims to be serious about addressing structural racism.”
The draft returns regulation is scheduled for a vote by the European Parliament’s civil liberties committee in early . Last week, the EU moved closer to establishing offshore migrant centers after center-right and far-right MEPs united to support changes that would grant authorities greater flexibility in deporting asylum seekers, including the possibility of sending individuals to countries with which they have no prior connection.
