With 41 in favour 32 against and 1 abstention, MEPs in the Civil Liberties Committee adopted their amendments to the Commission proposal to overhaul EU return procedures, presented in March 2025.

According to the draft law, a decision to return has to be issued to any non-EU national staying illegally in a member state by the competent national authorities and shall impose an obligation to leave the relevant EU member state.

Return decisions would be included in a so-called “European return order” and be made available, through the Schengen Information System, in the whole Schengen area. Any EU country will have to recognise and enforce return decisions and removal orders issued by another EU country by 1 July 2027, based on a proposal by the Commission. The EU country on whose territory the third country national is staying illegally would be responsible for ensuring their return.

MEPs insist that the present regulation shall respect essential functions of national…