Key facts
- France and Spain oppose the establishment of migrant return hubs in third countries.
- French President Emmanuel Macron questioned the effectiveness and European values alignment of these hubs.
- Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez called the hubs "absolutely inefficient" and "worthless."
- Macron stated he would not allow EU funds to be used for building such deportation camps.
- A coalition of 19 EU leaders supports utilizing return hubs for rejected asylum seekers.
French President Emmanuel Macron and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez have strongly criticized proposals for migrant return hubs in third countries, deeming them ineffective and contrary to European values. The leaders expressed their opposition during an EU summit in Brussels.
Macron stated that he was "not sure that this is our Europe" and questioned the fundamental principles on which the continent was built, adding that he had "never seen a return hub in a third country that actually works." He also expressed concern that such policies would undermine relations with neighboring African countries and suggested that using EU funds for these hubs would damage Europe's credibility.