International

Brussels will continue to explore the development of deportation centers for migrants outside the EU

The European Commission (EC) will continue to explore the idea of creating migrant deportation centers in countries outside the European Union, as a formula to increase the returns of those who do not obtain the right to stay in the community area.

“Some Member States are asking to explore possible ways to advance solutions, such as the idea of developing deportation centers outside the EU,” said European Commissioner for Equality, Helena Dalli, on Wednesday in a debate on migration held in the European Parliament.

“The Commission will continue to explore possible progress on the idea of developing deportation centres outside the Union, especially in the view of a legislative proposal on returns,” he added.

Respect for fundamental rights

According to the comissar, “significant attention will be paid to respect for fundamental rights, when considering measures such as deportation centers.”

In this sense, Dalli has assured that he is in contact with organizations such as the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees “to ensure that International Law and the principle of non-return are always respected in all cases.”

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The commissioner made this clarification after last week the President of the EC, Ursula von der Leyen, sent a letter to the leaders of the Twenty-Seven in which she asked to “continue exploring” to advance the idea of developing deportation centers outside the EU and called for lessons from the implementation of the agreement between Italy and Albania.

He did so before a European summit in which it was discussed how to increase the return of migrants, a priority issue for all Member States, which are beginning to consider the possibility of creating deportation centers abroad, ruled out a few years ago by doubts about its compatibility with Community and international legislation.

Reviews of Von der Leyen

In the debate, the PP MEP Dolors Montserrat assured that the southern border of Europe, in reference to the Spanish Canary Islands, Ceuta and Melilla, “is at serious risk of collapse due to the constant arrival of irregular immigrants.”

Montserrat accused the Government of Spain of this situation because “it does not defend our borders or our security forces, evades international cooperation, disobeys Europe and despises Frontex’s help.”

Meanwhile, the president of the social democratic group, Iratxe García Pérez, warned that her party will not allow Von der Leyen’s letter about deportation centers to “bury” the recently agreed European migration pact.

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In his opinion, “indiscriminate” deportations represent “the most unworthy abdication of the values of the European project.”

“Now that the Italian Justice has ruled that the agreement of the Government of (Giorgia) Meloni with Albania is illegal, Mrs. Von der Leyen must abandon her inhuman and illegal proposal to create deportation centers in third countries,” she said.

From Sumar, Estrella Galán said that “building prisons for refugees in Europe is an outrageous” and accused Von der Leyen of having crossed a red line for a handful of votes.

For ERC, Diana Riba criticized “the blackmail” experienced by the EU by Turkey or Morocco, who she said have been converted into “border guards.”

From Vox, Jorge Buxadé called for “against illegal immigration, deportation” and “against mass immigration, mass deportations.”

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International

Child Found Malnourished in Van in France; Father Admits Confinement

French gendarmes discovered a child in a van in Hagenbach, in northeastern France, after a neighbor reported hearing what she described as “childlike noises” coming from the parked vehicle.

After unlocking the van, officers found the boy lying in a fetal position, unclothed and covered with a blanket, surrounded by garbage and near human waste, according to a statement from the Mulhouse prosecutor, Nicolas Heitz.

Authorities said the child appeared pale and severely malnourished. Due to prolonged confinement in a seated position, he was no longer able to walk. He was immediately taken to a hospital in Mulhouse for medical care.

The boy’s father, who lived with his partner and two daughters aged 10 and 12, admitted to keeping the child confined and depriving him of proper care.

According to the prosecutor, the man said he placed the child in the van in November 2024, claiming he wanted to “protect him” because his partner intended to have the boy admitted to a psychiatric facility.

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The suspect also stated that he allowed the child out of the vehicle in May 2025 and permitted him to enter the family apartment around mid-year, when the rest of the family was on vacation.

The man’s partner—who is not the child’s mother—also faces charges, including failure to report abuse. However, she has denied all accusations.

International

Europe Faces Jet Fuel Shortage Risk Amid Hormuz Disruption

The Airports Council International Europe has warned of a potential “systemic shortage” of jet fuel if maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz is not restored within the next three weeks, according to a letter reviewed by AFP on Friday.

In the document, addressed to the European Commission and first reported by the Financial Times, the European airport lobby stated that a “systemic jet fuel shortage will become a reality” in the European Union unless stable and significant transit through the strait resumes soon.

The association, which represents around 600 airports across 50 countries, called on Brussels to implement “urgent monitoring of fuel availability and supply” over the next six months.

Jet fuel prices have surged amid the conflict in the Middle East and the ongoing disruption in the Strait of Hormuz, a critical chokepoint for global energy transport.

The conflict escalated on February 28 following joint U.S. and Israeli airstrikes against Iran.

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In response, Tehran imposed several countermeasures, including blocking maritime traffic through the strait, a route through which roughly 20% of the world’s oil, jet fuel, and gas supply passes.

International

Artemis II crew prepares for Earth return and splashdown recovery

Astronauts from the Artemis II mission are expected to be extracted from the Orion spacecraft approximately two hours after splashdown, scheduled for 20:07 UTC this Friday (6:07 p.m. in San Salvador), according to NASA.

Following recovery, a rescue team will transport the crew by aircraft to the USS John P. Murtha. Once onboard, they will undergo medical evaluations before boarding another flight to the Johnson Space Center.

On Thursday, NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, along with Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen from the Canadian Space Agency, continued preparations for their return to Earth.

Their activities include stowing equipment used during the mission, securing cargo and storage compartments, and installing and adjusting crew seats to ensure all items are properly fastened. The crew will also review the latest weather updates, recovery operations status, and reentry timeline, while preparing for post-landing procedures.

At 21:53 UTC (9:53 p.m. in San Salvador), Orion’s thrusters are scheduled to perform a second trajectory correction maneuver, refining the spacecraft’s path back to Earth. During this operation, Hansen will monitor guidance, navigation, and propulsion systems.

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NASA explained that during Friday’s reentry, the service module will separate about 20 minutes before Orion reaches the upper atmosphere southeast of Hawaii. If necessary, a final trajectory adjustment will fine-tune the flight path before the capsule begins a series of roll maneuvers to safely distance itself from jettisoned components.

Just before atmospheric interface, Orion will reach a peak speed of approximately 3,800 km/h. As it descends to about 400,000 feet (around 121.9 km), communications will be interrupted for approximately six minutes due to plasma formation around the capsule during peak heating.

NASA expects the crew to experience up to 3.9 G during a nominal reentry profile. After exiting the blackout phase, the capsule will jettison its forward bay cover. Drogue parachutes will deploy at around 22,000 feet (6.7 km), followed by the three main parachutes at approximately 6,000 feet (1.8 km).

Artemis II marks NASA’s first crewed flight test of the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft around the Moon. The mission aims to validate capabilities for deep space human exploration and lay the groundwork for future long-term scientific missions on the lunar surface.