In a written answer on 3 July 2026, Commissioner for Home Affairs Magnus Brunner told the European Parliament that any return hubs developed by a group of Member States must comply with EU law, including the Return Directive and fundamental rights. The answer, responding to a question from Greens/EFA MEP Tineke Strik, signals the Commission's cautious engagement with the initiative while pointing to the newly agreed Return Regulation as the future legal framework.
Brunner confirmed the Commission is aware of negotiations among the Netherlands, Germany, Denmark, Greece and Austria to set up return hubs in third countries, and participates as an observer. He stressed that bilateral agreements with third countries must respect EU law and international obligations, and that the Commission will take measures against any breaches. The answer provides no concrete conditions for such agreements under current law, instead referring to the Commission's proposal for a Return Regulation, which includes conditions for return hubs and an independent monitoring mechanism. Political agreement on the regulation was reached in trilogue on 1 June 2026, endorsed by the European Parliament on 17 June and by Coreper on 10 June.
The answer avoids a direct legal assessment of whether current EU law allows forced returns to hubs, instead noting that the new regulation would create the legal basis. This leaves the five Member States in a legal grey area until the regulation enters into force. The Commission's stance balances support for Member State initiatives with insistence on legal safeguards, impacting EU asylum policy, national governments pursuing bilateral deals, and NGOs monitoring fundamental rights. The Return Regulation's adoption is now the key institutional follow-up, with implementation expected to provide clearer rules for return hubs.