European People's Party leader Manfred Weber called for the swift establishment of migrant return hubs in Africa, citing the recent surge of tens of thousands of migrants into the Spanish exclave of Ceuta. He proposed closer trade ties and legal migration opportunities for countries hosting these hubs in exchange for accepting migrants without the right to remain in Europe.
The proposal by a leading conservative EU figure highlights a growing push within Europe to externalize border control and asylum processing, potentially reshaping migration policies and international relations.
European People's Party leader Manfred Weber has urged the swift establishment of migrant return hubs in Africa, following a significant influx of tens of thousands of unauthorized migrants into the Spanish exclave of Ceuta. In an op-ed for Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Weber stated that cooperation with neighboring countries, like Morocco's immediate return of migrants, demonstrates a viable model.
Weber proposed that countries outside the EU could be offered closer trade ties, economic collaboration, and legal migration opportunities in exchange for hosting these return hubs. He asserted that migrants without the right to remain must leave Europe, emphasizing that returns should not depend on the political will of individual member states. Weber also dismissed internal European border controls as a long-term solution, advocating instead for strong, joint European protection of the external border.
The call comes amid criticism of Spain's left-wing government's migration policy, which previously granted legal status to half a million unauthorized migrants. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has been a vocal critic, implementing border controls for travelers from Spain. Weber linked the Ceuta crisis, which resulted in approximately 100 deaths, to the Spanish government's "political signals" impacting migration routes.