Rights Groups Warn of ICE-Style Enforcement as EU Tightens Deportation Rules

A coalition of 75 human rights organizations has called on the European Union to reject a new proposal aimed at accelerating the deportation of undocumented people, warning of a transition toward punitive, surveillance-heavy immigration tactics. The draft regulation, which follows significant far-right gains in recent elections, has sparked concerns over home raids, bulk data collection, and the potential for systemic racial profiling across the continent.

By: AXL Media

Published: Feb 16, 2026, 4:52 AM EST

Source: Information for this report was sourced from The Guardian

Rights Coalitions Challenge Aggressive New Enforcement Proposals

More than 70 rights organizations from across Europe have issued a joint statement urging the European Union to abandon a controversial draft regulation on immigration enforcement. The proposal, initially introduced by the European Commission last March, aims to significantly increase the rate of deportations for individuals with no legal right to stay in the EU. Currently, only about one in five people denied asylum or who have overstayed their visas are successfully returned to their country of origin.

The rights groups argue that the proposed measures would normalize a system of surveillance and denunciation, essentially turning public services and community interactions into tools for immigration control. They warn that the continent risks repeating historical mistakes by implementing systems based on scapegoating and racialized suspicion. The draft is scheduled for a critical vote by the European parliament’s civil liberties committee in early March.

Concerns Over ICE-Style Raids and Private Surveillance

One of the most contentious aspects of the new plan is the expanded authority it would grant to law enforcement agencies. The proposal includes measures that would allow police to search private residences and other relevant premises without a judicial order in their pursuit of undocumented individuals. Rights advocates have explicitly compared these potential tactics to the raids conducted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in the United States.

Michele LeVoy of the Platform for International Cooperation on Undocumented Migrants noted that European leaders should not criticize American enforcement practices while simultaneously adopting similar methods at home. This shift toward a more punitive enforcement model represents a significant departure from previous EU norms and suggests a focus on physical removal over integrated migration management.