THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT GREENLIGHTS FASTER RETURNS OF IRREGULAR MIGRANTS, CONTRASTING WITH SÁNCHEZ’S MODEL IN SPAIN

On March 26, the European Parliament took a decisive step in reforming the European Union’s migration policy by approving the opening of negotiations with the Council on a new returns regulation. The text, promoted by the European People’s Party, aims to strengthen the credibility of the European migration system and improve the effectiveness of managing irregular migration, in a context where only 20% of return orders are carried out in the EU—a figure that drops to 9.7% in Spain.

Javier Zarzalejos, Member of the European Parliament from the Partido Popular and Chair of the Civil Liberties Committee (LIBE), welcomed the outcome of the vote and stressed that this regulation constitutes the key piece to complete the European Pact on Migration and Asylum, whose entry into force is scheduled for June. In his view, Europe is moving toward a more effective and coherent model, in contrast to the lack of results in some Member States.

In particular, Zarzalejos contrasted this European progress with the migration policy of the Spanish Government, criticizing what he described as the absence of an effective strategy to control irregular migration and its reliance on measures such as large-scale regularizations. In his opinion, these measures weaken the credibility of the system and create a pull factor incompatible with an orderly management of migration flows.

The reform proposes replacing the framework in force since 2008 with stricter and more harmonized rules among Member States. Among the main changes is the strengthening of mutual recognition of return decisions, which will allow deportation orders issued in other EU countries to be enforced, as well as greater cooperation with third countries and with European agencies such as Frontex, in contrast to the limited enforcement capacity reflected in national data.

Likewise, the new regulation introduces measures aimed at increasing the effectiveness of returns, such as stronger obligations for irregular migrants to cooperate, including identification and biometric data, entry bans of up to ten years, and prioritization of returns in cases that pose security risks. It also establishes a detention framework of up to 24 months with safeguards, thereby reinforcing a balanced approach between effectiveness and respect for fundamental rights.

Zarzalejos argued that this reform responds to the need to move toward a migration model that is “orderly, regular, and linked to the labor market,” insisting that the European Union must ensure legal pathways while combating irregular routes. In this regard, he emphasized that the new regulation not only strengthens voluntary return and safeguards but also helps deter illegal migration and combat trafficking networks, marking a clear difference from national policies which, in his view, have proven insufficient.