BRUSSELS:&nbsp;EU countries on Monday are expected to approve a significant tightening of Europe&rsquo;s immigration policy, including endorsing the concept of setting up &ldquo;return hubs&rdquo; for migrants outside the 27-nation bloc. Fearful of far-right parties making gains at the ballot box, governments across Europe are scrambling to take a tougher stance. Interior ministers meeting in Brussels will vote for the first time on a series of measures presented this year by the bloc&rsquo;s executive to more strictly regulate the arrival and return of migrants. &lsquo;Return hubs&rsquo;If adopted, these measures would notably allow: -- The opening of centers outside the EU&rsquo;s borders to which migrants whose asylum applications have been rejected would be sent, the so-called &ldquo;return hubs&rdquo;. -- Harsher penalties for migrants who refuse to leave European territory, including through longer periods of detention. -- Returning migrants to countries that are not their countries of origin, but which Europe considers &ldquo;safe&rdquo;. A decline in irregular entries to Europe -- down by around 20% so far in 2025 compared to last year -- has not eased the pressure to act on the politically explosive issue. The latest proposals come just a few months after the EU adopted a mammoth new migration law that will come into effect in June. &ldquo;We have to speed up,&rdquo; said EU migration commissioner Magnus Brunner, &ldquo;to give the people the feeling that we have control over what is happening.&rdquo; &lsquo;Legal limbo&rsquo;The new initiatives have caused consternation among activists working with migrants. &ldquo;Instead of investing in safety, protection, and inclusion, the EU is choosing policies that will push more people into danger and legal limbo,&rdquo; said Silvia Carta of PICUM, an NGO that provides protection to undocumented migrants. But under the impetus of Denmark, which holds the EU&#39;s rotating presidency and has long advocated for these measures, member states are moving forward at a rapid pace. &lsquo;Widely shared political wish&rsquo;An EU diplomat told AFP that there was &ldquo;a widely shared political wish&rdquo; among leaders in the bloc to press ahead with these additional steps. &ldquo;We&#39;ve been moving forward very quickly,&rdquo; the diplomat said, speaking as others on condition of anonymity. But some in the bloc remain sceptical. France is questioning the legality and effectiveness of some of the proposals, while Spain is not convinced that &ldquo;return hubs&rdquo; work after several unsuccessful trials by other countries. Despite the concerns, there is backing from center-right and far-right lawmakers, who already gave an initial green light in the European Parliament. If these three proposals are approved on Monday by the EU member states, officials say the aim will be to immediately begin negotiations with the parliament as the next step towards approval. Taking in asylum seekers?&nbsp;While much of the focus on Monday will be on the new proposals being pushed, there will also be tricky talks on distributing at least 30,000 asylum seekers under the recent legal changes. That move is part of a new &ldquo;solidarity&rdquo; system to help relieve pressure on countries that see large numbers of arrivals, such as Greece and Italy. Other EU countries are expected to accept asylum seekers or to contribute 20,000 euros ($23,000) per person to the countries under pressure. But with governments across the bloc being urged to tighten immigration policies, putting a hand up to take in extra asylum seekers is fraught with political risk. &ldquo;There are few interior ministers who will want to come out in front of the press and say: &lsquo;OK, I&rsquo;ve taken 3,000&rsquo;,&rdquo; a European official told AFP. The EU is nevertheless under pressure to hammer out a compromise on resettlement, with the clock ticking to come up with a final decision by the end of the year.

Europe

Interior ministers meeting in Brussels will vote for the first time on a series of measures presented this year by the bloc’s executive to more strictly regulate the arrival and return of migrants.

EU set to back migrant ‘return hubs’

Reuters

WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump&#39;s administration is preparing to set a refugee admissions cap at 7,500 people this fiscal year, a record low that prioritizes white South Africans of Afrikaner ethnicity, three people familiar with the matter said.&nbsp;If finalized, the planned cap would be a steep drop from the 125,000 put in place last year under former President Joe Biden and reflect Trump&#39;s restrictive view of immigration and humanitarian protection. Trump, a Republican, slashed refugee levels during his 2017-2021 presidency as part of a broad crackdown on both legal and illegal immigration. After returning to office in January 2025, he froze refugee admissions, saying they could only resume if it was determined to be in the interest of the US.&nbsp;Weeks later, Trump issued an executive order prioritizing refugee entries from South Africa&#39;s Dutch-descended Afrikaner minority, saying the white minority group suffered racial discrimination and violence in majority-Black South Africa. South Africa&#39;s government has rejected those claims.&nbsp;The first group of 59 South Africans arrived in May, reaching a total of 138 by early September, Reuters reported previously.&nbsp;The White House, State Department and Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to requests for comment regarding the planned 7,500-person refugee ceiling in fiscal year 2026, which began on Wednesday. The New York Times first reported the plans.&nbsp;John Slocum, executive director of Refugee Council USA, urged other elected officials to push Trump to bring in more refugees, saying in a statement that such a low limit would be &quot;jeopardizing people&rsquo;s lives, separating families, and undermining our national security and economic growth.&quot;&nbsp;Trump officials had previously discussed annual refugee admissions ranging from 40,000 to 60,000, Reuters reported in recent months.&nbsp;At a side event at the United Nations General Assembly last week, top Trump administration officials urged other nations to join a global campaign to roll back asylum protections, a major shift that would seek to reshape the post-World War Two framework around humanitarian migration.

Americas

The planned cap is a steep drop from the 125,000 put in place last year under former President Joe Biden and reflects Trump's restrictive view of immigration and humanitarian protection.

Articles tagged with "asylum seekers"

EU set to back migrant ‘return hubs’

Trump administration planning 7,500-person refugee ceiling, sources say