Swedish PM Kristersson Unveils EU Proposal for Migration Return Centers

Stockholm (Eurotoday) – Swedish PM Ulf Kristersson announced that the EU could propose “return hubs” in March to address illegal immigration.

Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said that the EU could submit a proposal as soon as blank”>March on the setting up of so-called ‘return hubs’ to facilitate the removal of illegal migrants.

Kristersson outlined the potential timetable during a discussion in Vienna with Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer, a fellow conservative, in which both men encouraged the European Union to increase its efforts to counter illegal immigration.

Kristersson stated he had talked about the scheme with the EU Commissioner for Migration, Austria’s Magnus Brunner, who had assured him that a proposal would be presented in the spring. That, Kristersson stated, presumably meant sometime in March. “There is some momentum right now,” Kristersson expressed.

Nehammer commended Kristersson for keeping immigration on the EU’s agenda, and pointed out there were now 18 Schengen member states, including Switzerland and Norway, whose objectives were aligned on curbing migrant flows. The Austrian chancellor stated that concerned authorities had managed to “completely change” public discourse around immigration so that nations with no external European Union border, such as Austria, have become more involved in tackling the issue. “Only when we recognise that the problem must be solved together do we have a chance of making progress,” he explained.

Why is immigration a key issue for EU leaders now?

This growing support of hard and far-right parties throughout Europe has further propelled the immigration issue to top heights on the political agenda. As a reaction to this new shift, leaders of the European Union have declared plans to have tighter migration policies in place. The new policy involves “return hubs” in safe countries outside of the EU.

The European Commission, under the leadership of President Ursula von der Leyen, is to introduce new legislation by early 2025 that emphasizes faster deportations. According to current statistics, only about 19% of migrants ordered to leave actually do so, leading to calls for reforms to improve enforcement measures.