The European Parliament on Wednesday approved that asylum seekers whose applications have been rejected may be sent to detention centres in countries outside the Union, as Italy has already done on a limited scale and several other EU countries have also politically opened the door to.

The decision was adopted by 418 votes to 218, while 30 abstained, reports Euronews, which describes it as the biggest change in the EU’s immigration policy in decades.

The decision is politically contentious:

After the result was announced, supporters of the legislative proposal applauded, while some Members of Parliament on the right-hand side of the chamber shouted “send them back”, referring to irregular migrants.

Politicians on the opposite side responded by shouting “shame on you!”.

It was the old and the new right that found common cause on the issue, as the EPP, ECR, PfE and ESN groups all voted in favour of the proposal, along with some members of the liberal Renew group. The left, by contrast, stood united in opposition.

The decision may pave the way for far stricter practices:

The statutory maximum duration of detention for irregular migrants awaiting return will increase from six months to two years, with the possibility of a six-month extension and an unlimited duration for persons considered to pose a security risk.

Entry bans will also become significantly stricter, increasing from five to ten years in most cases, with the possibility of lifetime bans for those considered to pose a security risk.

However, the European Parliament’s decision must first be ratified by the Council of the European Union, that is, the Union’s 27 member states, before it becomes formally valid, according to Reuters.

“The Return Regulation will provide the necessary tools to make returns more effective, with faster and more impactful procedures,” said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in a letter on Tuesday addressed to the member states ahead of a meeting of EU leaders in Brussels.

EU countries say they are struggling to ensure that rejected asylum seekers and people who have overstayed their visas leave their territory.

The major question is whether the new rules, if they receive final approval, will make any difference in practical policy.