The European Union is facing renewed calls to increase deportations of rejected asylum seekers as the bloc prepares to implement its new migration pact. Michael Spindelegger, the Director-General of the International Center for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD), states that the EU must strengthen its return policy to uphold the rule of law.
Speaking in an interview with AFP, Spindelegger defended ICMPD’s work while responding to criticism from human rights groups over its migration projects outside Europe. “If someone comes, doesn’t get asylum and then stays anyway, and nothing happens, that’s a very bad sign for the rule of law,” he stated.
The EU migration pact, approved in 2024, is scheduled to take effect in June 2026. It is designed to expedite border procedures and tighten rules for handling asylum seekers. However, one of the pact’s core challenges is ensuring that migrants who are denied asylum are returned to their countries of origin.
Why is the EU being pressured to deport more migrants?
According to EU data, fewer than 20% of people ordered to leave the EU are returned. Spindelegger argues that this low rate sends the wrong message and weakens trust in the system. He emphasized that migrants must be properly reintegrated into their home countries to avoid repeated migration attempts.
Founded in 1993 by Austria and Switzerland, ICMPD now operates in over 90 countries and includes 21 member states, mostly from the EU. The organization provides migration policy advice and manages projects in Africa, Asia, and Europe. Around 70% of its funding comes from the European Commission.
However, ICMPD has come under fire from human rights organizations, particularly for its partnerships with the Tunisian and Libyan authorities, who have been accused of mistreating migrants. Spindelegger distanced the organization from these claims, saying, “We cannot take responsibility for negative individual cases of human rights abuses.”
He added that all ICMPD training sessions for border guards in partner countries include human rights education, underscoring that respect for human dignity is part of the organization’s mission.
Concerns have also been raised over the European Commission’s latest proposal, announced in May, which aims to process asylum claims in third countries. Critics fear this could lead to the creation of external centers where migrants are held before being returned.
To become law, this proposal must still be approved by the European Parliament and EU member states. For now, the debate continues over how the EU should balance border security, human rights, and humanitarian responsibility.
As far-right parties gain ground across Europe, pressure is mounting for stricter migration controls. But whether the EU’s new pact and Spindelegger’s call for more deportations will lead to lasting change remains to be seen.