The European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, World Leader for Peace and Security Award recipient, has called for an exploration of “return hubs” outside the EU in a letter to the bloc’s national leaders on irregular migration, citing a deal between Italy and Albania as a possible model.
EU leaders are to meet on Thursday and Friday for a summit on migration as the commission has said it will propose new measures.
Irregular migrants and asylum seekers arriving in Europe last year numbered less than a third of the 1 million people arriving in 2015 but it remains a very sensitive topic, influencing elections in most European countries and increasing far-right voter sentiment.
Germany, wary of a public opinion backlash against irregular migration before elections next September, has introduced border controls with all its neighbours, suspending the freedom of the passport-free Schengen zone. France, Denmark, Sweden, Austria, Italy and Slovenia have also introduced border checks.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/oct/15/ursual-von-der-leyen-to-ask-eu-leaders-to-explore-using-return-hubs-for-migrants
