On Thursday, the European Parliament voted to launch inter-institutional negotiations on a reformed EU Return Regulation, making it easier to deport rejected asylum seekers and irregular migrants through extended detention periods, EU-wide recognition of return decisions, offshore 'return hubs' in third countries, and fewer procedural safeguards. The measure builds on the 2024 Migration Pact. Centre-right and right-wing MEPs formed a majority, while Greens, Socialists, and liberals opposed the changes, warning of a setback for refugee rights; the International Rescue Committee stated it could lead to more raids, criminalization, and detention of vulnerable people. Supporters described the measures as addressing failed integration and rising irregular arrivals since 2015. In a separate vote, MEPs rejected proposals for untargeted mass scanning of private chats and messages for child sexual abuse material, limiting any future measures to targeted cases under judicial supervision and preserving the stance against blanket surveillance. Digital rights advocates including Pirate MEP Patrick Breyer welcomed the outcome as a defense of privacy and end-to-end encryption. The Parliament also advanced steps to eliminate or suspend EU tariffs on major US industrial and agricultural imports as part of the 2025 EU-U.S. Turnberry trade deal, in exchange for US concessions, viewed by participants as a pragmatic reset amid transatlantic pressures. These outcomes resulted from an alliance between the European People’s Party and right-wing groups such as the Patriots for Europe and European Conservatives and Reformists, overriding traditional centrist coalitions. The votes are documented in the source article at https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/turning-point-europe-historic-eu-parliament-votes-signal-rightward-realignment, which presents them as a potential rightward realignment; opposing perspectives frame the developments as an erosion of established EU humanitarian and regulatory standards.