Rights group raises alarm over EU expanded detention and deportation rules News
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Rights group raises alarm over EU expanded detention and deportation rules

Amnesty International on Thursday criticized the European Parliament’s approval of a controversial set of measures expanding detention and deportation powers across the European Union.

The rights group described the move as “punitive” and a threat to fundamental rights. The organization stated the newly approved framework significantly broadens the use of immigration detention and accelerates deportation procedures, raising concerns about safeguards for migrants and asylum seekers.

The measures form part of a revised EU “Return Regulation,” aimed at increasing deportation rates and streamlining enforcement mechanisms. The regulation enables prolonged and potentially arbitrary detention while lowering procedural protections, sparking concern over the risk of undermining the right to liberty and due process, particularly for vulnerable individuals such as children and asylum seekers. 

The proposal introduces new obligations on member states to intensify surveillance and detection of undocumented migrants, including through expanded data-sharing and monitoring systems. Analysts have described this as part of a rapidly growing “surveillance-deportation regime” across Europe, where digital tracking and enforcement mechanisms are increasingly integrated into migration control policies.

Humanitarian organizations warn that the use of “return hubs” could expose individuals to unsafe conditions and weaken accountability for rights violations. The European Commission has defended the proposal as necessary to ensure “effective and credible” return procedures, emphasizing the need to address low deportation rates within the bloc. Supporters argue that a more coordinated and enforceable system is essential for maintaining the integrity of EU migration policy.

Amnesty International has previously also cautioned and criticised that the measures are built on earlier reforms that already eroded asylum protections, including expanded use of “safe country” concepts and accelerated procedures. The organization urged EU institutions and member states to reconsider provisions that could lead to systemic rights violations.

THIS DAY @ LAW

Supreme Court ruled on Chinese Exclusion Act

On March 28, 1898, the US Supreme Court ruled that a child born in the US to Chinese immigrants was a US citizen and could not be deported under the terms of the Chinese Exclusion Act.

Read US v. Wong Kim Ark and learn more about the Chinese Exclusion Act.

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On March 28, 1808, English jurist Thomas Hare was born in the United Kingdom. After being admitted to the Bar in 1833, Hare became a campaigner for electoral reform. He created the Single Transferable Vote (STV) system of proportional representation used in many democratic countries today. He was also an early law reporter, recording important judicial decisions in The Hare Law Reports before there was any official reporting of legal opinions in the UK. Read a biography of Thomas Hare and a description of the STV system from the Electoral Reform Society.