An overloaded dinghy attempts to cross the Mediterranean (Image: Getty)
The EU has “surrendered to reality” on migration, an expert claimed after MEPs overwhelmingly backed tougher deportation laws before a furious chamber-wide shouting match. The European Parliament voted 418 to 218, with 30 abstentions, in favour of a new Return Regulation designed to make it easier for member states to deport illegal migrants and failed asylum seekers.
However, the result sparked dramatic scenes in Strasbourg. As the outcome was announced, right-wing MEPs celebrated by chanting “send them back”, prompting left-wing lawmakers to respond with cries of “shame on you” from across the chamber.
The extraordinary exchange highlighted the growing political divide over migration as Europe moves towards a tougher approach on border enforcement and removals.
Reacting to the vote, Frank Furedi, Executive Director of MCC Brussels, said the result marked a turning point in European politics.
He said: “Europe’s migration debate is over; Brussels has finally surrendered to reality.
“The EU Parliament has admitted what voters have been saying for years: a migration system without returns is a broken system. The shouting match in Strasbourg showed that Europe’s elites remain divided, but the vote showed that the political tide has turned.”
The legislation forms part of the EU’s wider effort to increase the number of migrants who are removed after being ordered to leave the bloc.
MEPs chant ‘send them back’ after EU Parliament migration vote
According to the European Commission, only around one in five non-EU nationals issued with a return decision currently leaves EU territory, a figure Brussels has repeatedly described as unsustainable.
The proposed reforms would create a common European system for returns, introduce a European Return Order that can be recognised across member states, and strengthen requirements for migrants to co-operate with deportation proceedings.
The legislation would also allow member states to establish so-called “return hubs” in third countries outside the EU, where migrants could potentially be transferred before being returned to their countries of origin.
Supporters say the measures are necessary to restore confidence in Europe’s immigration system and ensure that deportation orders are actually enforced.
Mr Furedi argued that the size of the majority demonstrated how dramatically attitudes had shifted.
He said: “The overwhelming support for this measure shows that Europe’s migration debate has fundamentally changed. What was dismissed as a fringe concern only a few years ago is now mainstream policy.”
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer (Image: Getty)
He added: “This vote is an acknowledgement that a border without effective returns is not a border at all. The EU is finally confronting a reality it spent years trying to avoid.”
The proposals still face further negotiations before becoming law, but the vote is being seen as a significant indication of the direction of travel within European politics.
Critics of the reforms argue they could lead to expanded detention powers and weaken protections for migrants. Several left-wing groups and campaign organisations have warned that offshore return centres risk creating legal and humanitarian concerns.
For Mr Furedi, however, the political significance outweighed the legislative detail.
He said: “The real significance of this vote is that Brussels is being forced to catch up with public opinion rather than trying to lecture it.
“The argument is no longer whether illegal migrants should be returned. The argument is why it took the European Union so long to recognise that this is essential for maintaining public trust.”
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Migration has become one of the defining political issues across Europe over the past decade, helping fuel the rise of populist and anti-establishment parties in several countries.
The debate has also had profound consequences in Britain.
Control of immigration was a central issue during the 2016 Brexit referendum, with supporters of leaving the EU arguing that the UK needed greater authority over its borders and migration system.
Although Britain formally left the bloc more than six years ago, immigration remains one of the most politically sensitive issues facing the Government.
Sir Keir Starmer has sought closer cooperation with Brussels through his post-Brexit “reset” strategy, including agreements covering security, defence and migration cooperation.
The Strasbourg vote nevertheless suggests that the EU itself is moving towards a more restrictive approach on migration, bringing parts of the European debate closer to positions that were once fiercely contested.
Mr Furedi said the scenes in the chamber reflected that wider transformation.
“The scenes in Strasbourg tell the story of modern Europe: voters demand tougher border controls, the political establishment finally acts, and then parts of that same establishment are outraged by the consequences of their own vote.”
He added: “What happened in the chamber was a snapshot of Europe’s migration wars in miniature: one side celebrating a return to enforcement, the other treating enforcement itself as morally suspect.”
According to Furedi, the scale of support was perhaps the most important detail of all.
“The size of the majority matters. This was not a narrow victory for one political camp; it was evidence that the centre of gravity in European politics has shifted decisively on migration.”
