EU Urged to Step Up Deportations of Rejected Asylum Seekers

Michael Spindelegger, head of the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD), has urged the European Union to intensify deportations of migrants whose asylum claims are rejected. Speaking ahead of the EU’s new migration pact taking effect in 2026, he warned that allowing such individuals to stay undermines the rule of law. He emphasized the need for reintegration programs to ensure migrants don’t attempt to return illegally. The ICMPD, which receives EU funding, has also faced criticism for its involvement in training border forces in regions accused of rights abuses, such as Libya and Tunisia.