The European Union is struggling to prevent migrants crossing into the bloc illegally, a top Brussels official has admitted, echoing the winning Brexit slogan by vowing to “take back control”. The phrase, immortalised during the 2016 referendum campaign in the United Kingdom, became a symbol of reclaiming national sovereignty from what critics described as an overbearing EU bureaucracy.

Now, it seems to be being repurposed by EU leaders themselves as they confront a migration crisis that threatens the continent’s stability. Magnus Brunner, the European commissioner for home affairs and migration, has conceded that the EU’s asylum system is in disarray, warning that without radical reforms, public trust will continue to erode.

Mr Brunner said: “We didn’t have control over what was happening in the EU.” He highlighted a decade of unchecked influxes that have overwhelmed national authorities and sparked political tension across member states.

Mr Brunner, 53, an Austrian former finance minister who studied in London, is preparing to unveil a bold strategy on Thursday, setting the EU’s first concrete target to slash illegal migrant numbers—a desperate bid to reclaim authority after years of systemic chaos.

Human rights groups have criticised the “innovative” policies as “dangerous” and “cruel”, but Mr Brunner insists they are essential to repair a broken framework.

The current crisis has roots in 2015, when 1.32 million asylum seekers arrived in the bloc, more than doubling previous totals and exposing porous borders.

By late 2023, over 8.5 million people had claimed asylum, with 50-60 % rejected. Yet on average, 80 % of those ordered to leave ignored the directive, vanishing into the EU’s shadow population.

Such failures have had tragic consequences. Rejected migrants have been linked to violent incidents, including the 2024 Solingen stabbings in Germany, the 2023 Brussels shooting, and the 2016 Berlin Christmas market attack that claimed 12 lives.

Public outrage over these incidents has fuelled the rise of radical-right parties, even as asylum applications declined from 1.04 million in 2023.

Mr Brunner told The Times in an exclusive interview: “I think that’s actually what people don’t like—and that’s what we have to change.”

He argued that voter anger is justified: “We have to give people back the feeling that we are in control of our borders, and of who comes and who is allowed to stay.”

Appointed by Ursula von der Leyen for his pragmatic approach, Mr Brunner rejects dogma.

Mr Brunner added: “It’s about getting it done, listening to the people. They don’t want a system which is abused.”

He also clarified his terminology: “The act of coming here is illegal. The person itself, of course, not.”

Early signs show progress: irregular crossings dropped 26 % to 178,000 in the past year, half the level from two years ago.

But deportations remain a fiasco. Between 2018 and 2023, three million people were ordered to leave; only 826,000 (28 %) complied. Over two million likely remain illegally, straining resources.

Mr Brunner’s plan aims to reverse this. Deported asylum seekers would face a ten-year entry ban—double the current term—and security risks, including criminals or terror suspects, could be detained longer under judicial order.

Appeals would no longer suspend removals, curbing absconding. Returns could go to origin countries, transit states, or external “return hubs” akin to Rwanda-style centres, previously deemed illegal.

Mr Brunner said: “One out of five people who are illegally in the EU are being returned. That’s not acceptable.”

Critics are incensed. Amnesty International and the International Rescue Committee denounce the proposals as “punitive” and “an unprecedented attack on asylum”, likening them to US-style ICE raids.

Mr Brunner countered: “That’s not our style. We’re implementing a system that is fair and firm, reflecting our values.”

While routes from West Africa, the Balkans, and Turkey have eased, Channel crossings to Britain now rival Mediterranean inflows.

Mr Brunner said: “It’s in our common interest to work together.”

He also criticised EU courts for applying “outdated” rules, arguing the bloc must adapt or risk further political fractures.

With recognition rates at just 20-40 % and returns lagging, the next two years will test whether the EU can truly “take back control” or continue to watch its migration challenge spiral beyond its grasp.