The European Union (EU) may use the funds of the new €200 billion Global Europe instrument, which is also intended to support poor third countries, to set up migrant deportation centers outside the EU. Moreover, these migrants mainly arrive in Europe from these very poor countries, reports Politico.

The sensitive question is whether the funds of this external aid instrument should be used to build migrant return centers abroad and prevent them from reaching Europe, Politico notes, referring to the talks underway in the European Parliament on this instrument.

The European Parliament on Thursday is set to agree on a shared position on the Global Europe instrument, which should become the main instrument for financing the EU’s external action in the upcoming seven-year budget for 2028-2034.

The €200 billion instrument proposed by the European Commission shall combine funding for international partnerships, humanitarian aid, and other EU foreign policy domains. In particular, the European Commission stated that Global Europe should help third countries address the root causes of migration and instability.

If the approach being discussed in the European Parliament is approved, the funds of the Global Europe instrument, which are intended also for international development, humanitarian aid, and assistance to partner countries, could be directed not to eliminating the causes of migration in poor countries, but to implementing EU migration policy itself and physically preventing migrants from entering its territory.