Alberto-Horst Neidhardt, senior analyst at the European Policy Centre, says this momentum has been building since the Tampa affair.

“[In the early 2000s], European leaders were looking at policy initiatives elsewhere, and there were echoes of what Australia decided,” he says.

“Around the same time, we started hearing the first European politicians talking about models of outsourcing responsibility to third countries, and since then, we’ve seen again and again attempts to make this policy more concrete.”

In June 2026, the EU implemented new standardised border controls, which included mandatory security screenings, expanded powers to deny asylum, and processing centres known as “return hubs”.

Critics argue these will create “human rights black holes”, undermine safeguards during processing, and lengthen detention stays. 

“A lot of these policies have to do with political signalling. We know that migration is a very salient political issue in most countries,” Dr Neidhardt says.

“We have elections soon enough in many European countries, including in France, where migration is also a very important political issue.

“If the public does not see an effect in their day-to-day reality, then the risk is that they will choose parties that seem to offer the most effective solutions that are oftentimes simplistic.”

"Europe's increasing reliance on neighbouring countries for migration control may reduce arrivals in the short term, but it can also provide those countries with significant political ​leverage," said Alberto-Horst Neidhardt, senior policy analyst at the European Policy Centre.

Alberto-Horst Neidhardt was mentioned in an articled published by EPOCH times where discussed asylum rules in the EU.

Alberto-Horst Neidhardt was mentioned in article by Vatreno Srce where he was quoted about Brussels and how they are affecting migration pacts.

Alberto-Horst Neidhardt was mentioned in an article written by Berria and they discussed border control.

Alberto-Horst Neidhardt was mentioned in an article from Dnevnik which talked about the new border rules.

Alberto-Horst Neidhardt

Alberto-Horst Neidhardt was mentioned in an article from Croatia Week discussing how they are implementing new EU pacts.

"I would expect member states to do everything they can to keep ​arrivals, and pressure on their asylum systems, low, to reduce the risk ​that the rules are put to the test too early," said Alberto Horst Neidhardt, senior policy analyst at European Policy Centre.

Alberto-Horst Neidhardt was mentioned in an article from OSIJEK Express discussing migration.

Alberto-Horst Neidhardt wrote an article for the Progressive Post about screening and border procedures.

Alberto-Horst Neidhardt, Senior Policy Analyst at the European Policy Centre, said, “When legal family routes close or stall, some may try other channels, including irregular migration, which adds to pressure on reception capacity.” 

Alberto-Horst Neidhardt, a senior migration researcher with the European Policy Centre, said the European Court of Human Rights is not the primary driver of problems EU states face when trying to deport criminals.

"Neither European law nor the convention prevent them from expelling persons who pose a security threat," he explained.

Nell'ottava puntata di "Bruxelles t’amo non t’amo", il talk show settimanale di Euronews, gli ospiti sono Giuseppe Guerini Presidente della Confederazione europea delle cooperative (Cecop), Francesca Basso, corrispondente da Bruxelles del Corriere della Sera e Alberto Horst Neidhardt, analista dello European Policy Center.

A month after the end of Bashar al-Assad’s brutal rule, the official EU response remains largely confined to the announcement of assistance for development and economic stabilisation. 

A month after the end of Bashar al-Assad’s brutal rule, the official EU response remains largely confined to the announcement of assistance for development and economic stabilisation. 

L’attentat de Magdebourg, la bascule vers le thème de l’immigration. 

The desire to review the status of Syrians in Germany could come at a high cost, warns Alberto-Horst Neidhardt, Senior Policy Analyst at the European Policy Centre. “Pursuing this decision and conducting status reviews would be very expensive, as it must be done on an individual basis,” Neidhardt explained.