Human Rights Watch warns the EU is yielding to anti-migrant rhetoric, eroding asylum rights at home and prioritising tough migration diplomacy abroad over human rights protections. Critics say measures like deals with Tunisia, proposals for offshore deportation centres, and policies allowing transfers of asylum seekers to countries they’ve never been in undermine core international protections. The shift in language from “irregular” to “illegal” migration reflects a normalisation of harsher attitudes. This comes amid broader EU strategies aimed at curbing arrivals through external pressure on third countries rather than safeguarding asylum access.
Date: February 4, 2026. Source: euobserver.com