The European Parliament erupted into chants of “send them back” after lawmakers approved a sweeping overhaul of the European Union’s migrant return system, marking the latest sign that Europe is moving toward tougher immigration enforcement after years of growing anger and frustration from voters.
Members of the European Parliament voted on Wednesday 418 to 218, with 30 abstentions, to approve the Return Regulation, a measure designed to speed up the removal of third-country nationals who are staying illegally in the European Union.
The moment quickly turned explosive. After the vote was announced, right-wing lawmakers stood, applauded and chanted “send them back,” according to a video of the meeting. Lawmakers on the left responded by chanting “shame on you.”
The legislation still requires formal approval by the Council of the European Union and publication in the Official Journal before it enters into force, but the confrontation underscored how sharply divided Europe remains over migration, even as the bloc’s institutions move ahead with policies once seen as politically taboo.
The new rules would allow member states to detain some migrants for up to 24 months, with a possible six-month extension, and create a framework for “return hubs” outside the European Union in third countries willing to receive migrants with return decisions.
Supporters say the rules are necessary because European Union countries have struggled to enforce deportation orders. The European Conservatives and Reformists Group (ECR), citing the European Commission, said only around 20% of migrants who receive a return decision are actually returned.
The vote comes after Fox News Digital reported earlier in June that the European Union appeared to be moving toward tougher border and asylum rules amid growing concern over illegal immigration across the continent. The new measures include stricter screening, identity and security checks, and the use of biometric data such as fingerprints and facial recognition.
Conservative leaders hailed the Parliament vote as a victory. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni called the result a “great success,” calling the legislation a “historic measure,” according to her post on X.
Other right-wing figures in France and Austria praised the moment as evidence that pressure from the right was reshaping European Union policy.
Critics, however, accused lawmakers of dehumanizing migrants and weakening core protections.
The Guardian reported that socialist vice president of the European Parliament Javi López called the plenary session “disgraceful,” while Italian Green and Left Alliance Member of the European Parliament Ilaria Salis described the celebration as “horrifying.”
Human rights groups have also raised alarms.
United Nations human rights chief Volker Türk warned the new rules risk expanding detention, Reuters reported, creating offshore return hubs and weakening safeguards against forced returns.
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