The European Commission president wrote to the 27 leaders of EU member states before a summit on Thursday, which is set to be dominated by talks over migration.
More than half of EU governments have called on Brussels to work on proposals regarding the hubs as they seek to speed up deportations.
In 2018, Brussels ruled out deals with non-EU countries to process asylum seekers amid ethical and legal concerns. The commission said such hubs were neither “desirable nor feasible”.
But in a departure from that sentiment, Mrs Von der Leyen wrote in the letter, dated Monday evening: “We should also continue to explore possible ways forward as regards the idea of developing return hubs outside the EU, especially in view of a new legislative proposal on return.”
Well well. Seems the wheel is turning. Maybe Brussels are finding their inner Farage!
Donald Tusk and Michel Barnier “you cannot cherry pick your rules” are banging their respective drums for Poland and France.
The Conservative Rwanda plan wasn't overseas processing, it was permanently removing people even if it was found they had a right to claim asylum in the UK. If it had been overseas processing with people who hadn't got a right to be here being returned to their own country and people who had a right to be in the UK returning to the UK then the reaction would have been very different.
Oreo
Most are economic migrants with a few genuine asylum seekers mixed in.Economic migrants to be deported and genuine asylum seekers to be accepted, easy to say but not so easy for the authorities to untangle.
They just are not. At least three quarters have their asylum application granted straight away and more do after appeal.
The 20% (ish) who are refused do not, by any stretch of the imagination, comprise 'most'.
BevSec
FriedGreenTomatoes, Labour thought it was taking the moral high ground, and would look good, instead just look foolish as other countries look to take up similar schemes.
No the people who look silly are the people who don't realise that the two proposed schemes are different.
MaizieD
Oreo
Most are economic migrants with a few genuine asylum seekers mixed in.Economic migrants to be deported and genuine asylum seekers to be accepted, easy to say but not so easy for the authorities to untangle.
They just are not. At least three quarters have their asylum application granted straight away and more do after appeal.
The 20% (ish) who are refused do not, by any stretch of the imagination, comprise 'most'.
Makes me laugh when older people criticise education standards now when so many of them make these sort of mistakes. I wonder when people were taught that 20% equalled most.
Theworriedwell, you dont hold back do you!
BevSec
Theworriedwell, you dont hold back do you!
Just pointing out some silly stuff.
Oreo
All European countries have the seemingly impossible task of deterring and dealing with illegal migrants and it’s become such a problem that all avenues are at last being explored.
Italy is already building such a ‘hub’ in Albania to process anyone who lands on Italian shores.
Not anyone -
Italians are sending only men from countries deemed to be safe to Albania
www.theguardian.com/world/2024/oct/14/italy-first-asylum-seekers-albania-pact
"Men from countries deemed safe are transferred to Albania to have asylum claims processed"
"Women, children and any men with illnesses or who showed signs of torture were instead taken to the southern Italian island of Lampedusa, after screening was carried out to establish who in the group met the requirements of the deal – men originating from countries that are deemed safe, Italian media reported."
Freya5
Luckygirl3
FriedGreenTomatoes2
I wonder what Labour thinks of all this?
Still ‘smashing the gangs’? How’s that one coming along?
It’s been very quiet from Yvette Cooper.
I don’t think we’ve had any updates.This sort of cynicism does not help. All European countries are struggling with this very complex problem and there are no easy solutions. The government are right to be looking at the role of the criminal gangs who thrive on this "trade", but I do not imagine this is all they are looking at, nor that they are operating in isolation from other countries.
At least they are approaching it with humanity, unlike the previous government who seemed to regard frightened refugees as pawns.Don't called migrants threating people with guns "harmless". Very naive to think they are all frightened refugees. !!
I am searching for the word harmless in my post.
Nor did I say they were ALL frightened refugees.
Nor do I have evidence of migrants threatening people with guns. Do you? Any more so than home-grown thugs?
After all the money spent on the Rwanda scheme it seemed to me to be totally irresponsible to just cancel outright, cutting off their noses... Even if the LP had a useful alternative plan, which it apparently has not, it would still have been a massive waste of money.
Repeatedly saying they will smash the gangs and rely on this new border force is getting us nowhere. I just hope they don't throw money away in the direction of the French border forces who so obviously have a vested interest in shipping as many illegals off to the UK as possible.
Quoting Parsley from the last page
Rwanda has problems of its own just now with an outbreak of the deadly Marburg virus.
WHO classified the Marburg virus disease outbreak in Rwanda as a grade 3 emergency, the highest internal level for emergencies based on the WHO Emergency Response Framework.
Which would have stopped us "shipping" people there, and left nothing - no resources - in the UK re processing and ability to deport.
MaizieD
Oreo
Most are economic migrants with a few genuine asylum seekers mixed in.Economic migrants to be deported and genuine asylum seekers to be accepted, easy to say but not so easy for the authorities to untangle.
They just are not. At least three quarters have their asylum application granted straight away and more do after appeal.
The 20% (ish) who are refused do not, by any stretch of the imagination, comprise 'most'.
Possibly because claims for asylum in the UK are dealt with much more leniently than other countries.
In the last year around 27% applications for asylum in France are granted compared to 77% in the UK.
Also in the UK a total of 66,454 people were granted asylum in the year ending June 2024, a 217% increase from the previous year when 24,123 claims were successful
No wonder so many are coming here from France
sundown I know, the word is out that the U.K. is easy on applications.
The 62,800 migrants who arrived by rubber boats and given ‘amnesty’ by Labour (that’ll show ‘em) immediately become eligible for benefits, so the costs increase.
Brilliant advertising for “Come to the UK” where everything is free under Labour.
And then they’ll send for their families.
We are indeed a soft touch.
Europe turning to the right and we’ve lurched leftwards. Out of lockstep again. We never learn.
sundowngirl
MaizieD
Oreo
Most are economic migrants with a few genuine asylum seekers mixed in.Economic migrants to be deported and genuine asylum seekers to be accepted, easy to say but not so easy for the authorities to untangle.
They just are not. At least three quarters have their asylum application granted straight away and more do after appeal.
The 20% (ish) who are refused do not, by any stretch of the imagination, comprise 'most'.Possibly because claims for asylum in the UK are dealt with much more leniently than other countries.
In the last year around 27% applications for asylum in France are granted compared to 77% in the UK.
Also in the UK a total of 66,454 people were granted asylum in the year ending June 2024, a 217% increase from the previous year when 24,123 claims were successful
No wonder so many are coming here from France
You may be right on the leniency, but the numbers granted asylum vary from one year to the next purely because of the lack of applications processed in year. There has been a big push to get through the backlog in the last year, and it’s still huge.
Uncontrolled immigration, only in the new Britain. We don’t want it Starmer. But you’re not listening Mr Tin Ears are you? You are treating the British people with utter contempt.
I think part of the problem going on in France is, that without speaking sufficiently good French, immigrants will inevitably find it difficult to settle in that country. Most refugees come from areas that use English as a second language. It's an added problem which France might see as a barrier, so they grant fewer applications for asylum. France therefore becomes a less welcoming place, even hostile, and the intention is to get out from there as soon as possible.
Casdon
sundowngirl
MaizieD
Oreo
Most are economic migrants with a few genuine asylum seekers mixed in.Economic migrants to be deported and genuine asylum seekers to be accepted, easy to say but not so easy for the authorities to untangle.
They just are not. At least three quarters have their asylum application granted straight away and more do after appeal.
The 20% (ish) who are refused do not, by any stretch of the imagination, comprise 'most'.Possibly because claims for asylum in the UK are dealt with much more leniently than other countries.
In the last year around 27% applications for asylum in France are granted compared to 77% in the UK.
Also in the UK a total of 66,454 people were granted asylum in the year ending June 2024, a 217% increase from the previous year when 24,123 claims were successful
No wonder so many are coming here from FranceYou may be right on the leniency, but the numbers granted asylum vary from one year to the next purely because of the lack of applications processed in year. There has been a big push to get through the backlog in the last year, and it’s still huge.
I think you will find that the majority of European countries have a similar percentage of successful asylum claims to France.
Sorry Casdon but you must be burying your head in the sand if you really believe the huge numbers being granted asylum in the UK is purely due to the backlog. Look back on previous years and you will find that the UK percentage wise, grants far more applications than any other European country, EU or otherwise.
Such an easy way to clear the backlog - grant them all asylum. Then probably Sir Kier will claim how efficient his government has been in reducing those numbers
We are definitely a soft touch and no deterrent!
FriedGreenTomatoes2
Uncontrolled immigration, only in the new Britain. We don’t want it Starmer. But you’re not listening Mr Tin Ears are you? You are treating the British people with utter contempt.
That’s the sort of post a 10 year old would make. The claims being processed now are from the past, and you cannot justifiably blame Starmer for what has gone before. Judge him on the numbers when Labour have been in power for longer than they have for goodness sake, instead of piling even more ills of the past on his shoulders. Read the 100 Days thread.
sundowngirl
Casdon
sundowngirl
MaizieD
Oreo
Most are economic migrants with a few genuine asylum seekers mixed in.Economic migrants to be deported and genuine asylum seekers to be accepted, easy to say but not so easy for the authorities to untangle.
They just are not. At least three quarters have their asylum application granted straight away and more do after appeal.
The 20% (ish) who are refused do not, by any stretch of the imagination, comprise 'most'.Possibly because claims for asylum in the UK are dealt with much more leniently than other countries.
In the last year around 27% applications for asylum in France are granted compared to 77% in the UK.
Also in the UK a total of 66,454 people were granted asylum in the year ending June 2024, a 217% increase from the previous year when 24,123 claims were successful
No wonder so many are coming here from FranceYou may be right on the leniency, but the numbers granted asylum vary from one year to the next purely because of the lack of applications processed in year. There has been a big push to get through the backlog in the last year, and it’s still huge.
I think you will find that the majority of European countries have a similar percentage of successful asylum claims to France.
Sorry Casdon but you must be burying your head in the sand if you really believe the huge numbers being granted asylum in the UK is purely due to the backlog. Look back on previous years and you will find that the UK percentage wise, grants far more applications than any other European country, EU or otherwise.
Such an easy way to clear the backlog - grant them all asylum. Then probably Sir Kier will claim how efficient his government has been in reducing those numbers
We are definitely a soft touch and no deterrent!
You misunderstood what I said sundowngirl. The asylum claims backlog started to be tackled in 2024 so more cases were granted. - that is fact. I said you may be right on the leniency.
What you can’t do currently is blame Labour for the mess we are currently in, as it was not them who created this situation - we need to give them time now to get us out of it instead of demanding a magic wand.
MaizieD
Oreo
Most are economic migrants with a few genuine asylum seekers mixed in.Economic migrants to be deported and genuine asylum seekers to be accepted, easy to say but not so easy for the authorities to untangle.
They just are not. At least three quarters have their asylum application granted straight away and more do after appeal.
The 20% (ish) who are refused do not, by any stretch of the imagination, comprise 'most'.
They accept so many as genuine to lessen the enormous backlog, it’s what the Conservatives did and what this Labour government is likely to do.
It’s quite obvious to anyone with eyes that these boatloads of healthy young men are here to find work.Can’t say I blame them for trying but it’s up to the government of the day to be severe with the rules which up to now they haven’t been.
Casdon. Therefore if you are nearly 3 times more likely to be granted asylum in the UK than France and the only deterrent we had abandoned, it’s no wonder there is a queue to get here
Unless he tightens up the asylum process, Starmer will definitely need that magic wand
The current government didn’t write the rules applying to people seeking asylum sundowngirl, so we will have to wait to see if and when they change them. As it stands currently, the policy of the previous government is being applied. There are no magic wands, if there were I’m sure Sunak would have been waving them.
They accept so many as genuine to lessen the enormous backlog, it’s what the Conservatives did and what this Labour government is likely to do.
I don't recall the tories doing anything at all to lessen the enormous backlog. There wouldn't have been one if they'd made any effort, instead of making empty and unworkable gestures, like Rwanda.
So more hotel room bookings in the meantime? I honestly thought that after howling down Rwanda and with all those years in Opposition tucked under their belt, Starmer and Cooper would have formulated a plan of their own by now. I honestly believed they had one waiting. Seems not. And not a peep out of Cooper on the subject.
They did try MaizieD.
migrationobservatory.ox.ac.uk/resources/briefings/the-uks-asylum-backlog/
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