New EU Returns Regulation: joint statement from European researchers

On 11 March 2025, the European Commission presented a new proposal for a Regulation establishing a common system for returns. The proposal, as denounced by civil society organisations like Amnesty International and PICUM, expands the use of immigration detention, lowers safeguards for people in return procedures and allows member states to set up deportation centres outside the EU.

The proposal states that it has “been informed by several EU-financed (ongoing) research projects in the field of return and irregular migration”, referring specifically to the FAiR, GAPs, MIrreM, and MORE projects. However, it does not transparently state how this has been done.

The four Horizon Europe research projects therefore issued a joint statement to ask the Commission to clarify this claim, and invite EU lawmakers to join a constructive, evidence-based dialogue to ensure our projects’ findings are fully considered.

Following the statement, the four Horizon Europe projects mentioned in the proposal regulation have been invited for a meeting with DG Home to discuss further how the research findings “informed” the proposal.

Although proposal regulations cannot be amended once they are published, we hope to have an input into the Staff Working Document that is linked to this proposal (and yet to be released). We will also seek opportunities to engage with member states and the Parliament as the legislative process moves forward.