DETENTION and DEPORTATIONS Leaked document shows Commission encourages secret readmission deals In a leaked document recently obtained by Statewatch, dated April 2022, the European Commission encourages its EU delegations abroad to prioritise readmission “arrangements” that are informal, non-binding deals between the EU and third countries, that can be kept confidential and would face “less cumbersome approval procedures in the third country”. According to the document, the Commission prefers these type of deals when a formal readmission agreement may be difficult to reach in a timely way. Swedish EU Presidency pledges to ramp up returns The Swedish Presidency of the EU Council, which runs from January to June 2023, indicated in their programme that it intends to increase cooperation with third countries in the field of migration, highlighting that “returns are a central part of this”. The programme further indicates that the Presidency will advance current negotiations on the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum.