This seminar examines the proposal for EU return hubs, the role of courts and national judges in reviewing externalised return arrangements and effective remedies.
Date: 11 MAY 2026 from 15:00 to 17:30
Event location: Aula Ardigò Piano Terra, Palazzo Hercolani, Strada Maggiore, 45 - In presence and online event
The proposal for a Regulation on return procedures marks a decisive step in the reconfiguration of the EU return acquis. While presented as the final building block of the Pact on Migration and Asylum, the proposal introduces far-reaching innovations that go well beyond procedural harmonisation. Most notably, it envisages the possibility of establishing so-called “return hubs” through arrangements with third countries.
These developments raise fundamental questions concerning the scope of the EU’s external competence in the field of return and readmission, the applicable legal standards under EU and international law, and the allocation of responsibility and judicial accountability for return operations carried out outside the EU territory.
This seminar examines the proposal for EU return hubs within the broader evolution of EU return law. It explores the legal bases, limits, and safeguards governing the externalisation of returns, situating the proposal in light of CJEU and ECtHR jurisprudence, as well as recent state practice, including the recent returns implemented under the Italy–Albania protocol. Particular attention is devoted to the role of courts and national judges in reviewing externalised return arrangements, and the implications for effective remedies, non-refoulement, and the rule of law.