The French president criticized migrant centers outside Europe
French President Emmanuel Macron has spoken out against the creation of so-called “return centers” for migrants in third countries. In his view, such a system has not proven effective and may contradict the values upon which the European Union was founded. This was reported by Reuters.
Following the European Union summit, French President Emmanuel Macron expressed his disagreement with one of the new approaches to migration policy, which involves the creation of so-called “return centers” in countries outside the EU. Such facilities could house people who have been denied asylum in European countries.
According to the French president, he supports strengthening mechanisms for the return of illegal migrants, but does not believe that moving such procedures outside the European Union would be an effective solution. “We advocate for a more effective return policy, but I have never seen a return center in a third country that actually works,” Macron said.
The French president also emphasized that the issue of migration cannot be viewed solely from a practical standpoint. In his view, any decisions must be consistent with the principles and values that underpin the European Union. “I’m not sure that this is the essence of our Europe. I’m not sure that these are the fundamental principles on which our Europe was built, and I also don’t believe that this is effective,” the French leader emphasized.
Spain also partially supports Paris’s position. After the summit concluded, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez also stated that Madrid does not approve of the creation of such centers. At the same time, he acknowledged that Spain and France remain in the minority, as a significant portion of EU member states support the new approach.
Debates over migration policy remain among the most contentious issues in the European Union. Member states continue to seek a balance between tightening migration controls, respecting human rights, and upholding the principles on which a united Europe is based. That is why the issue of creating “return centers” may well become a subject of controversy among European capitals on multiple occasions. He made these remarks at a press conference following the EU summit, according to Reuters.
The European Commission and France will sign a final agreement on Wednesday to allocate a loan of 15.09 billion euros for rearmament and to accelerate spending in the security sector. This financial package is being provided as part of the new European lending program SAFE (Security Action for Europe), which has a total budget of 150 billion euros.
