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European Union countries that send rejected asylum seekers to deportation centres in third countries will need to explore “more tangible” human rights safeguards, Cyprus’ Deputy Minister for Migration, Nicholas Ioannides, has told Euronews.
His comments come days after the bloc approved sweeping new measures aimed at accelerating migrant returns as part of a wider move that has been hailed as the sharpest pivot in EU migration policy in decades.
“We don’t want to punish these people,” Minister Ioannides told Euronews’ interview programme 12 Minutes With. “We just want to make sure that those who have no right to remain in the European Union will depart.”
The new rules will allow EU member states to strike bilateral deals with third countries to house migrants denied asylum in the EU in “return hubs” on their territory. Critics have slammed the move as endangering fundamental human rights.
“Upholding human rights is a red line for everyone. We don’t want any violations of EU and international law,” the minister said, adding that arrangements are in place for international organisations such as the UN’s refugee and migration agencies to monitor the conditions in the return hubs.
Asked whether the EU had any plans in place should migrants’ fundamental rights be breached, Minister Ioannides said: “There will be safeguards in the agreements concluded between member states and the third countries hosting such centres, which will stipulate the details of what should happen in case there’s a human rights violation.”
But the minister acknowledged that EU countries are just “discussing ideas” at this stage.
“Now that the regulation has been agreed, we will start delving into the matter to adopt more tangible measures,” he added.
Concerns for minors
While unaccompanied minors will not be sent to return hubs under the new rules, children accompanied by their families may be transferred there.
Asked how the EU would protect these minors from potential abuses, the minister said that the “best interests of the child” would be factored in before deciding to send a family with young children to a return hub.
The rate of irregular migrants who are ordered to leave the EU for their countries of origin but do not do so stands at an average of 27% across the bloc.
While acknowledging that part of the problem is countries of origin’s refusal to accept their nationals back, Minister Ioannides also said that some third-country nationals “do not cooperate with member states” when it comes to repatriation.
“The new regulation envisages measures that would exert pressure on individuals to collaborate with member states,” Ioannides explained.
“For instance, there will be strict detention rules and longer entry bans that will actually push, to put it this way, third-country nationals to work with member states and accept their repatriation.”
The Cypriot government, which holds the six-month rotating presidency of the Council of the EU, has made tightening the bloc’s migration laws a key priority.
The minister referred to the rules on migrant returns as the “missing piece” of the EU’s sweeping overhaul of migration rules, known as the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum, which enters into force next week.
You can watch the full interview with Minister Nicholas Ioannides on Wednesday, 3 June at 21:15 CET.
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