European Union Adopts Trump-Style Migration Policies

The European Union is expanding its powers to track, raid, and deport migrants to 'return hubs' in third countries, adopting tactics similar to the Donald Trump administration. These new policies, known as the Pact on Migration and Asylum, will go into effect on June 12. This move follows the rise of right-wing parties in some European countries in 2024, with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stating the measures will prevent a repeat of the 2015 migrant crisis. Italy, under Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, serves as a model, having established migrant detention centers in Albania and approved an anti-immigration package. An informal group of European Union nations, including Germany, Austria, the Netherlands, Denmark, and Greece, are pursuing similar deportation agreements with countries like Kenya. Human rights groups, such as Amnesty International and the PICUM, warn that these policies are eroding legal protections for migrants and involve tactics like pushbacks, raids, and increased surveillance, drawing parallels to controversial practices in the United States by entities like the United States — United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The United Kingdom, outside the European Union, has also intensified its immigration enforcement, reporting significant deportations and arrests.