{"id":8766,"date":"2026-08-05T01:19:38","date_gmt":"2026-08-05T01:19:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/assedel.org\/?p=8766"},"modified":"2026-08-05T01:19:38","modified_gmt":"2026-08-05T01:19:38","slug":"cutting-back-on-human-rights-a-threefold-analysis-of-the-amendments-to-the-eu-return-regulation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/assedel.org\/fr\/cutting-back-on-human-rights-a-threefold-analysis-of-the-amendments-to-the-eu-return-regulation\/","title":{"rendered":"Cutting back on Human Rights: A threefold analysis of the amendments to the EU Return Regulation"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In June 2026, the European Parliament approved the &#8220;Return Regulation,&#8221; a sweeping legislative framework aimed at overhauling the return procedures for third-country nationals lacking legal rights to stay in the European Union<sup><\/sup>. Following this landmark vote, ASSEDEL (European Association for the Defense of Rights and Freedoms) published a comprehensive report analyzing the severe human rights implications of these newly approved amendments<sup><\/sup>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The ASSEDEL report, authored by Yanna Moulay-R\u00e9thor\u00e9 and Cecilia Invernizzi, examines the Regulation through a three-fold thematic lens, highlighting a dangerous shift toward security at the expense of fundamental human dignity<sup><\/sup>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1. More Power for States, Fewer Safeguards for Individuals<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Regulation significantly lessens the responsibilities of Member States while simultaneously expanding their discretionary power<sup><\/sup>. It transforms what should be strict protective obligations into optional actions based on the &#8220;good will&#8221; of individual nations<sup><\/sup>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Derogations and &#8220;Security Risks&#8221;:<\/strong> Member States can now deviate from the Regulation&#8217;s path regarding third-country nationals deemed to pose &#8220;security risks&#8221;. Because the text provides no specific examples of what constitutes a security risk, the identification of such risks is left entirely to national discretion.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Weakened Legal Protections:<\/strong> Crucial safeguards have been stripped away. For instance, amendments have removed the guarantee that third-country nationals can request free legal assistance and representation.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>The Principle of Non-Refoulement:<\/strong> Alarmingly, the Regulation deletes the requirement that a competent judicial authority must verify compliance with the principle of non-refoulement, a cornerstone of international human rights law.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2. An Unbearable Burden on Third-Country Nationals<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The framework places an incredibly heavy burden of responsibility squarely on the shoulders of migrants<sup><\/sup>. The text uses highly authoritative language, demanding that individuals &#8220;comply&#8221; rather than simply remain available, creating a harsh power dynamic<sup><\/sup>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Strict Obligations:<\/strong> Third-country nationals face extensive demands to cooperate with authorities, including the requirement to provide detailed information on their travel routes and transit countries.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Ignoring Vulnerabilities:<\/strong> Member States are no longer explicitly required to take &#8220;any vulnerabilities&#8221; into account when handling these cases, raising severe concerns about human rights compliance.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">3. Criminalization and Extended Detention<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Perhaps the most troubling aspect of the Return Regulation is its inherent criminalization of third-country nationals, who are frequently portrayed as uncooperative or malicious<sup><\/sup>. The legislation uses the pretext of national security to justify extreme measures<sup><\/sup>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Prolonged Detention:<\/strong> The Regulation establishes maximum detention periods of 24 months, with provisions allowing for further extensions if a person is labeled a &#8220;security risk&#8221;. This creates legal vacuums and the potential for indefinite open-air prison treatments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Coercive Measures:<\/strong> The Regulation introduces the possibility for authorities to conduct searches and seizures without the consent of the third-country national.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Criminal Sanctions:<\/strong> Non-compliance with the return process can now lead to criminal sanctions, including imprisonment under national law.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Read full report <a href=\"https:\/\/assedel.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Report-Return-Regulation-.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">ici.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In June 2026, the European Parliament approved the &#8220;Return Regulation,&#8221; a sweeping legislative framework aimed at overhauling the return procedures for third-country&#8230;<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":8771,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"give_campaign_id":0,"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[31,90,81,29],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8766","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-european-parliement-eng","category-parlement-europeen","category-soumissions","category-submissions-eng"],"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/assedel.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Horizontal-Cover-Pages-YouTube-Website.png",1280,720,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/assedel.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Horizontal-Cover-Pages-YouTube-Website-150x150.png",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/assedel.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Horizontal-Cover-Pages-YouTube-Website-300x169.png",300,169,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/assedel.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Horizontal-Cover-Pages-YouTube-Website-768x432.png",768,432,true],"large":["https:\/\/assedel.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Horizontal-Cover-Pages-YouTube-Website-1024x576.png",1024,576,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/assedel.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Horizontal-Cover-Pages-YouTube-Website.png",1280,720,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/assedel.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Horizontal-Cover-Pages-YouTube-Website.png",1280,720,false],"trp-custom-language-flag":["https:\/\/assedel.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Horizontal-Cover-Pages-YouTube-Website-18x10.png",18,10,true],"inhype-blog-thumb":["https:\/\/assedel.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Horizontal-Cover-Pages-YouTube-Website-1140x694.png",1140,694,true],"inhype-blog-thumb-grid":["https:\/\/assedel.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Horizontal-Cover-Pages-YouTube-Website-555x360.png",555,360,true],"inhype-blog-thumb-widget":["https:\/\/assedel.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Horizontal-Cover-Pages-YouTube-Website-220x180.png",220,180,true],"inhype-blog-thumb-masonry":["https:\/\/assedel.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Horizontal-Cover-Pages-YouTube-Website-360x203.png",360,203,true]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"assedel","author_link":"https:\/\/assedel.org\/fr\/author\/assedel\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"In June 2026, the European Parliament approved the &#8220;Return Regulation,&#8221; a sweeping legislative framework aimed at overhauling the return procedures for third-country...","amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/assedel.org\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8766","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/assedel.org\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/assedel.org\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/assedel.org\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/assedel.org\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8766"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/assedel.org\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8766\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8770,"href":"https:\/\/assedel.org\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8766\/revisions\/8770"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/assedel.org\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8771"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/assedel.org\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8766"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/assedel.org\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8766"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/assedel.org\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8766"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}