EU parliament agrees to strengthening of Fortress Europe

The many requests for modifications to the directive were rejected by EU deputies, meaning that the harmless sounding Returns Directive comes into effect immediately and has to be incorporated into national law by all EU member states over the next 24 months.

The directive makes it possible for EU countries to detain immigrants without proper residency papers for up to six months. The immigrants affected are usually those who have fled from the worlds poorest countries in order to escape poverty, hunger and suppression. No formal judicial resolution is required for an arrest, which can be authorised by a state authority. Only at a later stage is a judge called upon to confirm the legal status of the arrest. According to an EU parliament press release, detention can also be prolonged up to 18 months if the detainee does not cooperate or if there are delays in the handing over of necessary documents by transit states.