In September 2026, migration debates focused on the stronger emphasis of border control, returns, detention and migration management across the EU. Furthermore, legal and Human-rights challenges concerning detention, access to asylum, reception conditions and the treatment of vulnerable peoples also shaped the migration debate in September.
The Ceuta Crisis and its aftermath
Spain continues to deal with the aftermath of the large-scale surge of migrants from Morocco into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta on 30 and 31 July. Following the spread of misinformation through social media campaigns encouraging migrants to come to Ceuta, an estimated 72,000 people ventured into Ceuta. 141 people have reportedly died at sea. The Spanish and Moroccan forces have made progress in returning thousands back to Morocco, yet thousands still remain in Ceuta and are yet to be processed for return. This includes an estimation of 2,000 unaccompanied minors.[1]
According to leaked information from the Spanish national police, the Moroccan authorities were allegedly involved in the mass crossing. According to the report, the authorities were unusually absent from the generally heavily guarded border. They have denied any involvement in the storming of the borders.[2] Human smuggling networks are also suspected to have been involved in the Ceuta crisis.
Efforts are being made by Madrid and Morocco to prevent another mass-crossing of migrants into Ceuta following further social media campaigns in September, encouraging people to travel to the enclave. Although these campaigns have reportedly had a less significant impact than those in July, authorities remain on alert, with preventative measures in place to reinforce border controls.[3]
Relevance: The storming of the borders in Ceuta has been condemned as a case of weaponised migration. The crisis has raised concerns among EU member states regarding the security of the Schengen Area’s external borders, with Members of the European Parliament calling for stronger measures to reinforce them.[4] The crisis also demonstrates the potential impact of social media and disinformation in facilitating large-scale population movements. At the same time, it raises broader questions about the factors compelling people to leave Morocco and seek better opportunities in Europe.
Link – September 2026
UK-France Deal Officially Expires
The deal between the UK and France to curb migration, also known as the ‘one-in, one-out’ deal came to an end recently after British Prime Minister Andy Burnham confirmed that his government would not be extending this deal any further. As the name suggests, the initiative was to return some migrants back to France and then take in other migrants who could potentially qualify for asylum under the UK’s laws.
Despite the deal only being a year old, it has indeed now come to an end, with the Prime Minister noting that his government would be “changing the whole approach” in regard to small boat arrivals. He also added that Brexit had only made the handling of the migrant situation harder as the UK does not currently operate on the same level of cooperation with the EU as it did in pre-Brexit times.
Amidst the uncertainty, the Home Office aims to be reassuring in its rhetoric, saying “We continue to work with France to relentlessly tackle small boat crossings, and we’ve made real progress”. They added that deportations will still take place throughout the coming weeks, but only in relation to those who have already been detained.
Relevance: With no current prospects for a new deal, the migrant situation along the English channel remains ambiguous, and the wellbeing of those crossing into European territory may now even be at heightened risk until a new solution is adopted. Small boat crossings have become a talking point in British politics over the past few years and public backlash continues to grow. Anger at successive governments’ migration policies and failure to reduce these crossings only seem to boost support for parties leaning further to the right. With Britain already facing this situation, one can only imagine the precedents that may follow for other European right-wing parties and the future of migration politics.
Link · Additional source – 30 September 2026
Several EU Member States Plan to Send Rejected Migrants to Return Hubs by 2027
Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Austria and Greece have agreed on a common model for establishing “return hubs” in countries outside the EU, with the aim of potentially transferring rejected asylum seekers there from 2027. The five countries are negotiating with potential partner countries, mainly in Africa, although no specific host country has yet been confirmed.
The initiative follows a June vote by European lawmakers allowing EU Member States, individually or in small groups, to establish centres outside the EU and transfer rejected asylum seekers there rather than returning them directly to their countries of origin. The participating governments present the hubs as an alternative for people who cannot currently be returned home but have no legal basis to remain in Europe, and say that organisations such as the UNHCR and IOM could have monitoring or advisory roles.
The proposal has nevertheless generated significant human-rights concerns. Rights organisations argue that placing migrants in third countries could make their rights much harder to monitor and enforce, with Council of Europe Human Rights Commissioner Michael O’Flaherty warning against creating “human rights black holes.” The UNHCR said it had not yet been approached with details of the proposal, while the IOM stressed that discussions remained exploratory and that any scheme would need to comply with EU and international law and protect migrants’ rights.
Relevance: With several EU countries now making substantial plans to confront the growing issue of migration, one can only imagine what sort of precedent this will have on other nations within the Union. States like Germany for example, arguably the most powerful player within the EU, at least in economic terms, taking a solid stance on its approach to migration, it is fair to say that smaller EU nations may adopt similar tactics in their response to the issue as well. Adding to this, the quoted human rights concerns cannot be ignored here. Given that alarm bells have already been raised as a result of this policy being pushed through, there still appears to be some hope that the plan will not come into fruition as the mere description of the term ‘return hubs’ in and of itself carries a more negative connotation to it than positive.
Link – 4 September 2026
Belgian Immigration Office Has New Plans to Return Migrants
In an unprecedented move, the Immigration Office for Belgium has decided to formally train its own employees to deal with the forced return of migrants. This is a first for the Belgian Government and will apply to people who are currently staying illegally within the country. Before this, the challenge was left solely in the hands of the aviation police, but due to the rapidly-ongoing changes in EU migration politics, it seems as though the Belgian authorities wanted to be more strategic in their approach to migration issues.
Asylum and Migration Minister Anneleen Van Bossuyt has made it clear those being returned can have their deportations delayed by more than a month due to a shortage of professionally trained staff. However, in educating escort officers, who are already under the employment of the Immigration Office, on how to deal with these forced returns, the government aims to engage in far more forced return operations than before and to slash waiting times for such deportations too. The desired waiting time is to be cut to approximately 10 days.
Relevance: As a Brussels-based NGO, we are committed to raising awareness about migration-related updates around the world, but an issue developing in Belgium specifically means that we as an organisation need to be fully informed about this issue as it could result in some major changes before our very eyes. Our NGO keeps up to date with ongoing policy proposals and tracks their development from start to finish. This is certainly one to keep a close eye on, given the hostility migrants are currently facing throughout many member states of the EU. The set objective to cut waiting times so drastically also shows the seemingly desperate nature of the policy, but whether these escort officers will be appropriately equipped to take on this task is something we cannot foresee at this time.
Link – 14 September 2026
HERCoN Conference: Building Bridges to Higher Education: Advancing Education Pathways for Refugees
Conference that will bring together policymakers, higher education institutions, civil society organisations, refugee-support actors, and other stakeholders from across Europe to discuss how EU initiatives, particularly Erasmus+ and other funding instruments, can better support mobility and education pathways for refugees and students at risk.
The conference will be structured in two parts. The morning session, hosted at the European Parliament, will centre on policy discussions on the future of Erasmus+ and its role in supporting displaced learners. Contributions will include Members of the European Parliament, policymakers, higher education representatives, displaced students, and civil society actors.
The afternoon session will focus on implementation and practice. It will showcase education pathway programmes developed through the HERCoN project, highlighting lessons learned, shared challenges across national contexts, and recommendations for strengthening and expanding access.
Relevance: We strongly believe that everyone should have the right to an education, and the fact that many people are not given this opportunity, often from an early age even, is unfortunate to say the least. Despite various higher education institutions across Europe offering support schemes for refugees, such as loans, grants etc, there is still a lot of work that needs to be done in order to solidify our solidarity with refugees and genuinely prove both to them and to ourselves that we fully support their integration into our society. Education is not the only way to show this support of course, but it’s a great way to get started.
Sixth Joint Research Day: Knowledge Production on Migration in Restrictive Political Contexts
This research day will explore how knowledge about migration is produced and shared at a time when migration policies and public discourse are becoming increasingly restrictive and contested across liberal democracies, including Europe, the United States and Canada.
As migrants face growing challenges and risks, the organisations that work alongside them, as well as researchers studying migration and diversity, are also facing increasing pressure. This raises important questions about the role that research can play in understanding and responding to these developments.
The event will bring together researchers and civil society actors to explore questions such as: How can researchers contribute to policy debates when migration is such a politically sensitive issue? How can the experiences and perspectives of migrants be represented and heard without placing them at greater risk? How should researchers respond when their work becomes the subject of criticism or backlash?
The discussions will also look at the wider role of research in contributing to social change and imagining alternative futures. In particular, the event will consider how researchers, civil society organisations and other actors can build stronger connections and alliances both within and beyond academia in order to support these aims.
Together, these questions will provide an opportunity to think more broadly about the relationship between migration research, public debate and social change, while exploring the challenges and possibilities facing researchers and civil society today.
Relevance: We understand the need to be transparent about the discussion of migration and its place in academia is no exception. This is to say that in order to fully understand the wide span of issues surrounding migration in Europe right now, researchers should never feel pressured to suppress their views on these matters, where they otherwise feel they could contribute a thoughtful opinion on it. There should be absolute transparency when discussing sensitive topics, and in doing this, we strike at the core of why these issues are taking place to begin with and how we can do our best to approach them moving forward.
Study Day: Inequality and Minoritization Relations in the Era of Reactionary Conservatism
This study day will explore the relationship between research, public engagement and wider societal debate at a time when trust in scientific expertise is increasingly being questioned and public discussions are becoming more polarised. It will bring together researchers, teachers, students and civil society organisations to reflect collectively on how knowledge is produced, shared and received in the social sciences today.
The discussions will focus on several areas that form part of SIYB’s expertise, including migration, inequality, Islam and racism. These are all subjects that generate significant public and political debate, as well as ongoing disagreements and different perspectives within the social and political sciences themselves.
Looking at how research into these issues has developed over time, the study day will consider how knowledge is created through collaboration between researchers and wider society. It will explore questions around researchers’ engagement with public debates, the importance of reflexivity, and the ways in which academics can work alongside community, cultural and activist organisations.
The event will also consider the practical and institutional factors that can either support or limit researchers’ ability to participate in public discussions. Ultimately, it aims to encourage a broader conversation about how researchers can contribute to societal debates and how research can be made more accessible, relevant and connected to the communities and issues it seeks to understand.
Relevance: By bringing together practitioners from different areas of expertise, we are able to appropriately engage in dialogue about the next steps forward for the sharing of knowledge, research, and political discussion. We see a noticeable sentiment displayed throughout the study day, namely that of connecting those from different backgrounds and thinking about new ideas and concepts. Taking an inside look into how people from migrant, or simply minority backgrounds interact with the institutions that provide us with information, along with rapidly shifting societal views, one can better understand the level of inequality that these groups seemingly face throughout their daily lives.
[1] https://brusselsmorning.com/eu-demands-rapid-return-of-irregular-migrants-following-ceuta-crisis/102833/
[2] https://www.euractiv.com/news/spain-on-alert-over-potential-new-migrant-crossing-into-ceuta/
[3] Ibid
[4] https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-room/20260911IPR47470/ceuta-parliament-demands-stronger-protection-of-eu-s-external-borders
