The European Commission is expected to propose new rules for the deportation of immigrants who enter the EU illegally.

As reported by the news outlet Politico, citing statements from diplomats, a plan for the return of migrants to their countries of origin is expected to be sent to member states’ permanent delegations by February.

This proposal is expected to be a priority for the Commission, reflecting the increasing pressure on migration from some member states, such as Italy and Poland.

The Commission is currently consulting with EU member state governments to work out the details of the new rules on deportations, the same sources told Politico.

The scenarios the commission is discussing regarding the new rules

The immigration regulations are particularly complex, involving overlapping national, EU, and international laws.

Some principles are likely to be included in the new directive, such as defining the rights and obligations of migrants who have exhausted their legal options to stay in the EU and clarifying the rules for their removal to third countries. These countries may be either the migrants’ country of origin or a country where they have stayed for a significant period.

Another scenario under discussion is restricting the freedom of movement of migrants selected for deportation by ordering them to “check-in” at a migrant center, allowing authorities to track migrants at risk of disappearing.

However, such centers are legally controversial, as Italy’s plan to send migrants to detention centers in Albania, a non-EU country, has demonstrated. This policy had been controversial from the start and faced legal challenges.

Meanwhile, pressure on the EU to curb migrant flows and speed up deportations has increased as there has been a significant rightward shift among member states.

As a result, far-right parties making significant gains on their anti-immigration platform, and right-wing forces gaining increasing influence in Brussels.