00:00Will the EU's new migration reform lead to high-style practices in Europe?
00:08This week, the European Parliament Civil Liberties Committee approved a controversial reform to boost returns of irregular migrants.
00:15The European Commission says it aims to make deportations across the EU faster and more effective.
00:20Among the measures, the creation of return hubs, deportation centres located outside the European Union.
00:26And migrants could be detained there for up to two years while waiting to be returned.
00:31But critics warn the proposal could be overly aggressive.
00:34In early February, around 70 NGOs raised another concern.
00:38They said the new rules could lead to practices similar to those used by the U.S. Immigration and Customs
00:43Enforcement, otherwise known as ICE.
00:45The proposal would allow member states to detect people staying irregularly in the EU and to take all necessary measures
00:52to ensure their return.
00:53However, critics say this wording is too vague because it could allow intrusive investigative measures, including authorities entering people's homes,
01:02to enforce deportations.
01:03But the European Commission rejects these claims.
01:06A spokesperson told the Cube the proposal does not require public services to report irregular migrants, nor does it foresee
01:13raids on homes, racial profiling or invasive surveillance.
01:16The Commission says the reform fully respects international law, but critics argue the safeguards are not clearly written into the
01:23law.
01:24I was just raising so many questions about how this text itself should be interpreted.
01:29So let's imagine some migration officer really having to implement it.
01:34What would this mean?
01:35Would they just have national guidelines?
01:38Would this have a very strict interpretation without potential judicial control?
01:42It's really unclear.
01:44Let's say that for me, these vague references to fundamental rights definitely are not enough.
01:49The reform is not final.
01:51The entire European Parliament must vote and member states must agree on the final law.
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