The EU Council's Working Party on Integration, Migration and Expulsion (IMEX Expulsion) is scheduled to meet on 2 July 2026 in Brussels to address return, readmission, and visa policy items, according to a notice of meeting published by the Council on 24 June 2026. The agenda includes presentations by Frontex on its return activities, updates on voluntary returns and reintegration, and discussions on leveraging visa policy to improve readmission cooperation, particularly with Ethiopia.
The meeting, which begins at 10:00, will open with a presentation by Frontex on the implementation of its return activities, followed by an exchange of views among member state representatives. The Presidency, the European Commission, and Frontex will then present on voluntary returns and reintegration, with a related document (10425/26) to be issued. The Commission will also present on the Visa Strategy and Visa Code Article 25a, which allows for restrictive visa measures against third countries that do not cooperate on readmission. A separate update on the implementation of Article 25a will be provided by the Commission and the European External Action Service (EEAS), focusing on readmission cooperation with Ethiopia, followed by an exchange of views.
Additional agenda items include initial observations on the implementation of the return border procedure, and under any other business, the Commission will inform the working party about an upcoming Digitalisation Proposal. Non-COMIX points include an update from the Commission on readmission negotiations with Kazakhstan.
The meeting is a technical-level discussion within the Council preparatory bodies, bringing together migration experts from member states. It does not involve formal decision-making but shapes the positions that will later be discussed at senior committee level (SCIFA) and ultimately by ministers in the Justice and Home Affairs Council. The focus on operational updates from Frontex and the Commission, as well as visa leverage over readmission, reflects the EU's ongoing efforts to increase return rates and enhance cooperation with third countries on readmission.
Stakeholders most impacted include EU member states, which are responsible for implementing return decisions and may face pressure to increase voluntary returns; third countries like Ethiopia and Kazakhstan, which are subject to visa leverage or negotiations; Frontex, which is expanding its return role; and migrants subject to return procedures, who may see changes in voluntary return support or border procedures. The meeting's outcomes could influence future EU policies on returns and visa conditionality, with potential trade-offs between effective returns and diplomatic relations with partner countries.