Patriots Group Welcomes New Return Regulation: "We Are Taking Back Control Over Returns"

The agreement opens the door for the return hubs, puts an end to endless legal delays and restores sovereignty to national governments.

Brussels, 01/06/2026 - The Patriots for Europe group welcomes the agreement on the new European Return Regulation, a deal shaped by the pressure the Patriots brought to bear in these negotiations. For years, citizens have demanded that illegal migrants are sent back. Yet today, only 20% of rejected asylum seekers actually leave the EU. That era of paralysis needs to end.

"This regulation puts the obligation exactly where it belongs: on the illegal migrant," said MEP Marieke Ehlers, the group's shadow rapporteur. "The days of pampering are over. You have no right to stay, which means you have one simple obligation: pack your bags and leave our territory."

The agreement opens the door for return hubs outside the EU, a long-standing Patriots demand, so that frustrating the return process no longer pays off. It puts an end to endless legal delays: appeals will no longer carry an automatic suspensive effect, and the return continues even while someone fights it in court. It also turns up the pressure on countries of origin, with nations refusing to take back their citizens facing withdrawn trade preferences, suspended visas, or frozen development aid.

For the first time, rejected asylum seekers face a strict obligation to cooperate with their own departure, or risk heavy sanctions including national criminal law. An aggravated regime cracks down on security risks, targeting anyone convicted of, or strongly suspected of, serious or repeat offences with a lifetime EU entry ban and priority removal. And to stop migrants vanishing into illegality, detention can now last up to 24 months, and longer still for security risks.

"We are taking back control," Ehlers stressed. This agreement reinforces the sovereignty of national governments. "Almost all provisions give Member States the freedom to go further. We are handing power back to our capitals. This regulation is not perfect, and on its own it is no silver bullet," she concluded, "but it is a decisive step in the right direction."

After the return regulation comes into force, implementation must be speedy and effective. That's what European citizens expect.