The European Union has approved new migration laws to create offshore centres for migrants and asylum seekers. Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) voted to allow authorities to deport asylum seekers to countries outside the EU, even if those people have never been there before. This rule will apply from June and is based on agreements between European governments and the receiving countries. The vote supports deals like Italy’s with Albania and the Netherlands’ with Uganda to send home people whose asylum claims are rejected. MEPs also agreed to a list of “safe third countries.” People from these countries will face faster asylum procedures and tougher chances to stay in Europe. The list includes EU candidate countries like Georgia and Turkey as well as Bangladesh, Colombia, Egypt, India, Kosovo, Morocco, and Tunisia. However, rights groups have criticized including Tunisia. They say Tunisian migrants are at risk because the government there harshly controls opposition and civil society and forces migrants into dangerous desert areas. Before the vote, 39 NGOs warned that calling Tunisia safe denies Tunisian nationals a fair asylum process. Italian MEP Alessandro Ciriani praised the vote, saying, “This is the beginning of a new phase: migration is no longer endured but governed.” Ciriani belongs to the Brothers of Italy party, which supports tougher migration control but has faced legal challenges in Italy over its agreements with Albania. Since the 2015 migration crisis, the EU has tightened refugee policies, stepping up after nationalist and far-right parties gained more power. Leaders in 2024 backed offshore return hubs for people denied asylum. The Dutch government signed a deal with Uganda to deport rejected asylum seekers to Africa. Denmark considered processing migrants in Rwanda but did not proceed. The dangerous migration route across the Mediterranean remains deadly. Last year, over 155,000 people attempted the journey, with 1,953 dying or missing. Early in 2026, about 380 people were feared drowned after a boat from Tunisia hit a cyclone. Supporters say the new laws will stop people smugglers by sending protection to safe countries outside Europe. Flemish politician Assita Kanko said, “People who genuinely need protection must receive it, but not necessarily in the European Union.” But the International Rescue Committee called the laws “deeply disappointing.” Their adviser Meron Ameha Knikman said the rules will force people to unknown countries where they face risks of abuse and language barriers. The laws passed mainly with support from centre-right and far-right groups. This reflects a shift after many nationalist MEPs were elected in 2024. The centre-left was divided, with some supporting the rules and others abstaining.