Outgoing EU Migration Chief Questions President’s Migrant Returns Plan

She believes Europe’s migration situation has improved “significantly” since she assumed office in 2019. Irregular border crossings have dropped by 40 percent, and returns of rejected migrants have risen by 20 percent compared to last year, according to official reports. “It is clear that we have much better control today,” she emphasized.

Nevertheless, Johansson underlined the need for the EU to intensify efforts to expedite the return of rejected asylum-seekers. “The current return legislation is 16 years old. We need updated rules that align with the agreements made in the Pact,” she explained.

A proposal to modernize the EU’s return directive was initially introduced in 2018 under the European Commission led by Jean-Claude Juncker. However, it stalled and was not finalized during Johansson’s tenure. She now anticipates the incoming Commission to put forward a new proposal.

As Johansson prepares to pass the reins to her successor, Magnus Brunner, she expressed satisfaction despite notable differences in their political backgrounds. Brunner, an Austrian conservative from the European People’s Party, has faced criticism for his limited experience in migration policy and has voiced openness to ideas such as establishing return hubs for migrants outside the EU.

“What political group you come from is, of course, important. But personality, commitment, and expertise are even more crucial,” Johansson said.

She also expressed concerns about the use of migrants by Belarus and Russia in hybrid warfare tactics against the EU. Johansson urged Brunner to prioritize crafting “better legislation” to counter this issue effectively.

“I see increasing aggression from the Belarusian side, with escalating violence directed both at migrants and Polish border guards,” she warned. Johansson called for heightened vigilance and measures to address these developments.