Patriots Deliver Breakthrough on EU Return Policy

Brussels, 26/03/2026 - European voters have long demanded a fundamental shift in migration policy. Today, a first decisive step has been taken. Thanks to the Patriots, the European Parliament has endorsed a significantly tougher approach to enforcing the return of illegal migrants.

For months, traditional parties remained deadlocked in negotiations, unable to deliver results on this crucial file. That impasse has now been broken. As Marieke Ehlers, lead negotiator for the Patriots, stated: "It became clear early on during the negotiations that the von Der Leyen-coalition (EPP, S&D, Renew) was unable to deliver the stricter return policy that voters are demanding. That is why we prepared our own proposals well in advance and built an alternative majority with a clear objective: to finally deliver results and restore control over returns."

For years, the European Commission, courts, and the media have attacked Member States, political parties, and everyday citizens who dared to resist the open borders insanity, even though the European Union's migration policy has utterly failed Europeans, and the Migration Pact will not resolve the migration crisis. However, a strict and enforceable return policy can play an important role in mitigating its effects and restoring a degree of control.

After a decade of political deadlock, the European Parliament has now finally adopted its negotiating position on a new Return Regulation. By joining forces with like-minded groups on the right, we have proven that an alternative path is the only way to secure Europe.

Giving Control Back to the Member States

Crucially, this new agreement shifts the paradigm towards minimum harmonisation. Instead of imposing a rigid, one-size-fits-all dictate from Brussels, this framework returns control to the national capitals. It sets a strict baseline but explicitly empowers Member States to adopt additional, more stringent measures under their national laws to safeguard their borders and national security.

A Powerful Toolbox for Effective Returns

With this agreement, we are finally handing Member States a much-needed toolbox to make the return process as efficient and watertight as possible. Where the old framework was riddled with loopholes, the new regulation introduces strict, uncompromising measures:

• Severe consequences for non-cooperation: Migrants who frustrate their deportation, withhold information, or refuse to cooperate will face severe sanctions. The regulation explicitly paves the way for criminal prosecution and imprisonment under national law.
• Stricter norms and extended detention: We have established significantly stricter norms for the detention of illegal migrants. The maximum detention period has been extended to 24 months, and individuals posing a security risk can now be immediately placed in enhanced-security facilities or prisons.
• Ending delay tactics: Merely filing an appeal will no longer automatically suspend a deportation. The era of exploiting the legal system with endless appeals to postpone returns indefinitely is over.

This agreement demonstrates a fundamental political reality: without the Patriots, there would have been no deal. We have always said: a strict, functioning return policy can only be achieved if we take the lead. Today, we have turned words into action. The era of non-committal migration policies is over.