European politician Manfred Weber (CSU) is demanding the establishment of “Return Hubs” on the African continent as a direct consequence of the surge in migrants arriving at the Spanish enclave of Ceuta. In an article for the FAZ, the chairman of the EVP faction in the European Parliament argued that the EU has significant offers-including good trade relations, economic cooperation, and legal migration pathways-for countries willing to cooperate on these Return Hubs. He asserted that a clear mandate is urgently needed from the EU Commission, urging that the EU “should not wait any longer for the slowest member state.”
Furthermore, Weber is calling for both a numerical increase and a legal strengthening of the European border protection agency, Frontex. He proposes that Frontex be equipped with 50,000 personnel to jointly safeguard the EU’s external borders alongside national border authorities. Crucially, he also demands that Frontex monitor whether member states are adhering to EU border protection regulations. He insists that independent, unannounced checks at European border posts must become standard procedure to verify the implementation of EU border law. Should national authorities prove unwilling to secure the borders, Weber concludes that Frontex must be granted command authority.
