The agreement, struck on Monday between European lawmakers and member states, comes as Brussels is also looking eastwards with renewed urgency.
At aWestern Balkans summitin Montenegro later this week, EU leaders will seek to show Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Kosovo, Serbia and Montenegro that enlargement is back on the table not as a vague aspiration, but as a strategic priority.
The timing also underlines the EUs delicate balancing act. As the European Union tries to convince its neighbours that membership is a real prospect, it is also preparing rules that could see some non-EU countries host centres for people who have been ordered to leave the bloc.
Todays agreement shows that we are bringing our European house in order, said Magnus Brunner, theEU commissioner for migration. With the new rules, we have more control over who can come to the EU, who can stay and who needs to leave.
'Return hubs' for undocumented migrants clear EU parliament hurdle
A tougher line on returns
The reform is aimed at improving the EUs patchy record on deportations. According to theEuropean Commission, less than30 percent of peopleordered to leave the bloc are actually returned to their country of origin.
Under the new rules, migrants subject to expulsion would face a stricter obligation to leave and to cooperate with authorities. Those who refuse could face tougher penalties, including detention.
The most politically charged element is the possibility of creating return hubsbeyond EU borders. These centres could be used either as final destinations or as transfer points for people whose asylum claims have been rejected.
Supporters argue that the hubs could make returns more efficient and deter irregular migration. Austria and Germany are already exploring options. The far-rightEuropean Conservatives and Reformistsgroup welcomed the deal, declaring: The era of returns has begun.
But doubts remain within the bloc itself. France and Spain have questioned whether such centres would work in practice, and the deal still needs formal approval from the European Parliament and member states before entering into force.
Most measures would apply immediately after the law takes effect, while some provisions would be phased in after 12 months to allow governments to adapt national rules.
Albania's controversial migrant deal with Italy sparks anger on all sides
Rights groups sound alarm
For human rights organisations, the agreement marks a worrying escalation in Europes migration policy.
This deal will give governments much broader powers to detain and deport people, said Marta Welander of theInternational Rescue Committee. She warned that the rules could normalise immigration raids, expand detention in prison-like facilities outside EU territory and increase the risk of people being sent to countries where they could face persecution, torture or worse.
Critics also point to the chequered record of earlier attempts at offshore processing. Britain abandoned its plan to send undocumented migrants to Rwanda, while Italys migrant centres in Albania have faced legal challenges and struggled to get off the ground.
Romes deal with Tirana, approved by Albanias Constitutional Court in 2024, allowed Italy to run two centres near the Albanian port of Shengjin. One was intended to register asylum seekers rescued in Italian waters, while another would house people waiting for decisions on their claims.
The facilities, managed by Italy butlocated on Albanian soil, were designed to hold up to 3,000 people at any one time. The five-year accord was estimated to cost more than 650 million.
The plan caused uproar on both sides of the Adriatic. Opposition MPs in Italy accused Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni of using migration as electoral propaganda, while Albanias opposition denounced Prime Minister Edi Rama for what it called a lack of transparency and a risk to national security.
Rights groups were even more scathing. The International Rescue Committee called the agreement dehumanising, while Amnesty International described it asillegal and unenforceable.
For Brussels, the lesson is awkward but useful: return hubs may sound tidy on paper, but they can quickly become legal, diplomatic and moral minefields.
Western Balkans' integration into EU in focus at Albania summit
Enlargement back in focus
The migration deal has landed just as European Council President Antnio Costa is touring the Western Balkans ahead of Fridays summit in Tivat, Montenegro.
Speaking in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Costa said the gathering was intended to show that EU enlargement is a real opportunity. In a world marked by geopolitical uncertainty and economic instability, he said, expansion is ageostrategic interest for Europeand an investment in the continents peace, stability and security.
His message was clear: the EU wants to keep the Western Balkans close, particularly as Russia and China seek influence in the region. Montenegro and Albania are seen as leading candidates, while Bosnia-Herzegovina has lagged behind amid deep ethnic divisions and pro-Russian separatist pressures from Bosnian Serb leaders.
Costa urged Bosnian officials to accelerate reforms, saying now was the time to focus on the goal of EU membership.
The bigger picture, then, is of a bloc trying to be both firmer and more open: tougher on irregular migration, but more serious about future enlargement. That balance will not be easy.
Candidate countries are expected to align with EU laws and values across35 policy areas, from justice standards to agriculture and fisheries. At the same time, some may find themselves under pressure to cooperate with migration schemes that remain deeply contested.
For EU leaders, the coming days offer a chance to project confidence: a union capable of managing its borders while expanding its reach. For critics, the risk is that Europes renewed appetite for control could come at too high a human cost.
(With newswires)
Originally published on RFI
