European Union interior ministers approved sweeping changes to the bloc's migration system Monday, endorsing the creation of offshore "return hubs" and expanded deportation powers in a bid to address public discontent that has fueled far-right electoral gains across the continent.

The measures, agreed upon at a meeting in Brussels, represent the most significant tightening of EU migration policy since leaders adopted a major asylum reform pact earlier this year. They arrive as irregular entries to Europe have fallen roughly 20% compared to last year—a decline that has done nothing to ease political pressure on governments to act.

"We have to speed up," EU migration commissioner Magnus Brunner said Monday, "to give the people the feeling that we have control over what is happening."

What the reforms allow

Under the changes approved by ministers, EU member states would gain authority to establish centers outside the bloc's borders for sending migrants whose asylum applications have been denied. These "return hubs" could function either as transit points before deportation to countries of origin or as longer-term holding facilities.

The legislation would also permit EU countries to return migrants to nations that are not their home countries but which Europe deems "safe." A new common list designates EU accession candidates as safe, along with Bangladesh, Colombia, Egypt, India, Kosovo, Morocco and Tunisia.

Migrants who refuse to leave European territory voluntarily would face harsher consequences. The rules authorize longer detention periods and, in some cases, criminal penalties including imprisonment for non-cooperation with authorities.

Return decisions issued by one member state would become valid across all 27 nations under a mutual recognition framework. Currently, a deportation order is binding only in the country that issues it.

The changes still require approval from the European Parliament before taking effect. Right-wing and far-right lawmakers have already given initial backing to the proposals.

Denmark pushes the agenda

Denmark, which holds the EU's rotating presidency, has driven the rapid pace of negotiations. The country's center-left government has long advocated for stricter migration rules both domestically and at the European level.

"We will be able to reject people that have no reason for asylum in Europe, and then it will be possible for us to make mechanisms and procedures that enable us to return them faster," Danish Immigration and Integration Minister Rasmus Stoklund said Monday. "It should not be human smugglers that control the access to Europe."

Stoklund confirmed that ministers agreed on a revision of the "safe third country" concept, which would allow member states to negotiate bilateral agreements with non-EU nations for asylum processing outside Europe.

"The connection criterion has now been removed," Stoklund told reporters. "This allows member states to establish return hubs either as transit centers, where irregular migrants are processed before being sent to their home countries, or as facilities where a person can be held for a longer period."

An EU diplomat told Agence France-Presse there was "a widely shared political wish" among bloc leaders to press ahead with the additional measures. "We've been moving forward very quickly," the diplomat said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Skeptics and critics

Not all member states embraced the proposals without reservation.

France questioned the legality and effectiveness of some measures. Spain expressed doubt that return hubs could work, citing unsuccessful trials by other countries. Germany's Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt announced after Monday's meeting that Germany would neither accept additional asylum seekers nor provide financial support under the new solidarity arrangements.

Human rights organizations condemned the reforms.

"Instead of investing in safety, protection and inclusion, the EU is choosing policies that will push more people into danger and legal limbo," said Silvia Carta of PICUM, an NGO that assists undocumented migrants.

Amnesty International's EU advocate on migration, Olivia Sundberg Diez, compared the measures to the Trump administration's approach. "These punitive measures amount to an unprecedented stripping of rights based on migration status and will leave more people in precarious situations and legal limbo," she said in a statement.

French Green lawmaker Melissa Camara called the changes "a renunciation of our fundamental values and human rights."

More than 200 organizations had criticized the proposals before Monday's vote. In a joint statement released in July, groups including Amnesty International, ActionAid, Caritas Europa and Human Rights Watch warned the measures risked pushing the EU away from international law and could lead to illegal returns and arbitrary detentions.

Solidarity pool and burden-sharing

Ministers also finalized implementation of a new "solidarity" system for distributing at least 30,000 asylum seekers among member countries in 2026.

Under the arrangement, EU nations not facing significant migratory pressure have three options: accept relocated asylum seekers, contribute €20,000 ($23,000) per person to frontline states, or provide alternative support measures. The solidarity pool aims to collect €430 million ($500 million) for countries bearing the heaviest burden—Cyprus, Greece, Italy and Spain.

The negotiations proved contentious. With governments across Europe under pressure to tighten immigration policies, volunteering to accept additional asylum seekers carries political risk.

"There are few interior ministers who will want to come out in front of the press and say: 'OK, I've taken 3,000,'" a European official told AFP.

Details of how countries will meet their obligations were not disclosed.

Political context

The migration overhaul reflects years of division among EU nations dating to 2015, when more than one million migrants arrived in Europe, most fleeing conflicts in Syria and Iraq. Public opinion on the issue has shifted considerably since then, and far-right parties have capitalized on migration concerns in elections from France to Poland.

In her State of the Union address in September, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said tackling irregular migration was essential to maintaining public trust in democratic institutions. "The people of Europe have proven their willingness to help those fleeing war and persecution," von der Leyen said. "However, frustration grows when they feel our rules are being disregarded."

The U.S. has added external pressure. President Donald Trump's administration recently issued a national security strategy document criticizing Brussels' migration policies, claiming they "are transforming the continent and creating strife."

Currently, only about 20% of EU return orders are actually enforced, according to European Commission data. The new legislation aims to increase that figure through stricter legal consequences and streamlined procedures.

The European Council will now negotiate with the 720-member European Parliament to finalize the legal texts. Officials have indicated they want to complete the process before the winter legislative break.