Fine Gael MEP Maria Walsh will vote against a proposal on ‘return hubs’ in the European Parliament, warning that the EU cannot outsource its migration responsibilities.
The European Parliament is set to vote on the Returns Regulations on Thursday 26 March, which includes a proposal for the establishment of return hubs in third countries.
MEP Maria Walsh, a member of the European Parliament’s Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) Committee, said:
“This week, the concept of ‘return hubs’ will be put to a vote in the European Parliament – an idea that first rose to attention through the UK’s Rwanda scheme and is now being promoted across Europe as a response to immigration.
“Under this proposal, EU member states could deport individuals to countries they have no connection to or have never set foot in, where they will be detained in centres for indefinite periods.
“By their very nature, return hubs carry significant risks of human rights violations – given they operate outside the jurisdiction of the EU. While these centres will be funded by European taxpayers, they will not be governed by EU laws and standards. Instead, the treatment of an individual will depend on the laws and norms of the host country.
“I will be voting against the policy of return hubs in the Parliament tomorrow, and I urge my fellow Irish MEPs to do the same. Given the serious concerns around human rights protections in some existing EU agreements with third countries, I do not believe assurances on safeguards can be relied upon in practice.
“This proposal risks being a knee-jerk reaction to political pressure from a small but vocal minority. It is vital that we separate fact from fiction in this debate.
“The claim that immigration continues to increase is not supported by the data. In 2024, almost 913,000 people applied for international protection in the EU for the first time, a decrease of 13% compared with 2023. In Ireland, asylum applications dropped nearly 30% in 2025. These figures point not to a system in crisis, but to one that is beginning to stabilise.
“If a person does not have the right to remain in Europe, they should not stay. But making return hubs the cornerstone of our response is misguided. They are not a silver bullet – they are a shortcut that risk severe human rights violations funded by the European taxpayer.
“Ireland must continue to offer a different perspective; one grounded in fairness, responsibility and respect for human dignity. Over the coming weeks, I will be following how Ireland and our closest allies approach this policy when it comes before national governments at the EU Council.”