European Parliament Approves the Creation of Centers for Sending Migrants from the EU

The European Parliament’s Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice, and Home Affairs has approved a package of bills allowing the creation of centers in third countries for migrants deported from the European Union. The legislative initiative also provides for tougher penalties for foreigners whose stay in the European Union is deemed illegal, including imprisonment, according to meduza.io, citing dw.com. The bill, Deutsche Welle notes, has received support from conservatives and representatives of far-right parties. A vote on this legislative initiative in the European Parliament is scheduled for March 12. According to data from the European Union Agency for Asylum (EUAA) published in early March, the number of asylum applications in European Union countries in 2025 decreased by 19% compared to the previous year, to 822,000 people. The European Commission, DW wrote, linked the decline in asylum applications to the tightening of migration policy. At the same time, only about 20% of foreigners who have been ordered to leave return to their country, the publication noted.