Commission nominee touts ‘humane and legal’ asylum return hubs during

Establishing so-called “return hubs” outside the European Union to host rejected asylum seekers can be done in a “humane and legally sound manner”, Magnus Brunner said on Wednesday during his confirmation hearing at the European Parliament.

Brunner warned further reflections and consultations are needed, however, particularly with member states, to “find out what this kind of concept might look like” in practice.

The 52-year-old Austrian is tipped to be the next European Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration, a portfolio set to thrust him into the epicentre of thorny politics.

Throughout the three-hour-long hearing, Brunner faced a string of questions about the future of EU migration and asylum policy, with a heavy focus on the outsourcing trend that leaders recently endorsed and concerns about human rights violations.

“We need to be open to considering new ideas,” Brunner said in his introductory remarks.

The nominee did not offer details about the “return hubs”, such as a potential locations for siting them or estimated costs, and insisted any project the bloc pursues to curb irregular migration has to be “always in line with EU values and our legal obligations.”

“In my view, this concept of ‘return hubs’ is only possible if you deal with it in a humane and legally certain way,” he said.

Humanitarian organisations have already rejected the initiative, saying the hubs will lead to endless detention and rampant suffering. Current EU law forbids authorities from sending migrants against their will to countries with which they do not have a connection.

But political pressure to improve the sluggish deportation rate has trumped these warnings, fostering a tougher approach in many member states.

The European Commission will table a new legislative proposal to speed up the return of rejected asylum seekers sometime before July 2025, Brunner said. The proposal will aim at simplifying procedures, increasing digitalisation and ensuring return orders are recognised between member states, something that often does not happen.

This legislative effort, he explained, will be accompanied by international outreach to convince countries of origin to take back their nationals after their departure.

“When it comes to returns, my approach is the following: migration policy has to be fair but also firm,” he told lawmakers. “People in need of protection have the right to asylum, people who do not have the right to stay have to return.”

Brunner was also asked about the deal Italy has struck with Albania to process asylum applications in the Balkan country. The protocol, which liberal and progressive MEPs have harshly criticised, has been slowed down by legal challenges.

“We have to take a look at this (deal),” he said, noting the Commission should examine “the experience that can be gained in this context.”

Another divisive proposal that was repeatedly discussed on Wednesday evening was the possible use of EU funds to build fences at the external borders. Brussels continues to resist this move despite mounting calls from right-wing parties.

ADVERTISEMENT

Brunner, who currently serves as Austria’s finance minister, did not express outright opposition to the idea and simply said the EU budget would be better spent in other ways, such as new technology for border surveillance.

“Funding has to be effectively deployed, we owe that to our taxpayers,” he said.

Despite the contentious nature of the portfolio he has been assigned, Brunner appeared comfortable and well-prepared throughout the hearing. He echoed many, if not all, of the positions laid out in the guidelines of his potential boss, Ursula von der Leyen, and avoided incendiary questions from far-right lawmakers.

If approved for the job, Brunner will be tasked with implementing the New Pact for Migration and Asylum, the far-reaching reform the bloc completed in May after almost four years of hard-fought negotiations. The Parliament sees the New Pact as a historic achievement and wants every member state to comply with the new rules.

ADVERTISEMENT

Poland and Hungary, though, have openly said they would not do so, stoking fears the complex overhaul could fall apart before it is given a chance to yield results.

Brunner committed to launching legal action against those who disregard the rules. “If it’s necessary and justified, then infringement proceedings could be brought,” he said.

The candidate also promised to work towards lifting internal controls across the passport-free Schengen Area and securing full membership for Romania and Bulgaria.

These pledges raised eyebrows in the room: his home country, Austria, has been condemned by the European Court of Justice for unlawfully extending border controls and is single-handedly blocking the accession of Romania and Bulgaria.

ADVERTISEMENT