A new restrictive migration policy concerning return hubs, approved on 17 June, has exposed deep divisions within the European Parliament, drawing support from unexpected political quarters. While the regulation was largely championed by right-wing blocs, including the European People’s Party (EPP) and the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), its passage was bolstered by votes from Renew Europe, the Socialists and Democrats (S&D), and even a small contingent of Green MEPs.
The legislation, which allows for families and children to be sent to deportation centers in third countries, passed amidst scenes of far-right lawmakers chanting “Send Them Back” while pumping their fists. The involvement of centrist and liberal parties in the vote has drawn sharp criticism from the Brussels-based NGO Picum. The organization warned that such actions signal a “growing normalisation of anti-migrant rhetoric” and reflect a willingness among mainstream parties to succumb to pressure from the far-right. “Without that political courage and clarity of purpose, the far-right will only get stronger and laws will become increasingly repressive,” added the NGO.
Despite the general opposition within their own groups, nine S&D members and two Green MEPs cast votes in favor of the measure. Alex Agius Saliba, a socialist from Malta, defended his support by stating he was acting to protect the interests of Malta and Gozo, a position shared by his two fellow Maltese socialists. Similarly, socialist lawmakers from Denmark supported the bill, aligning with long-standing national political discourse that frames migration and asylum as security concerns.
The support from the Greens was particularly notable, as it placed the two dissenting members against the rest of their 53-strong group. Among those who voted in favor were the vice-chair of the Greens, Virginijus Sinkevičius, a former European Commissioner for Environment from Lithuania, and Latvian Green MEP Mārtiņš Staķis. The vote highlights a significant shift in legislative alignment, with more than half of the Renew Europe group also backing the controversial regulation.
So too did the socialist Danes, reflecting national politics that have for years framed asylum and migration as security threats in the Nordic country.
