(ANSA-AFP) - BRUSSELS, MAR 26 - European lawmakers cleared the way Thursday for tougher penalties for irregular migrants and their potential deportation to so-called "return hubs" outside the bloc. The measures, criticised by human rights groups, are part of a tightening of Europe's immigration rules in response to pressure across the 27-nation bloc to curb migration. The European Parliament approved the package with support from centre-right and far-right groups in a 389 to 206 vote in Brussels -- bringing it a step closer to final approval. "The decisive changes introduced by this regulation will make it possible to simply guarantee this straightforward principle: if you come to Europe illegally, rest assured that you will not stay here," said centre-right French parliamentarian Francois-Xavier Bellamy. The reform would notably allow for the opening of centres or "return hubs" outside the EU's borders to which migrants whose asylum applications have been rejected would be sent. It also envisages harsher penalties for migrants who refuse to leave, including through detention and entry bans. It has proven divisive. "These appalling laws will undermine our societies, increase fear, and push innocent people into hiding for fear of prison and deportation," said Cecilia Strada, an Italian lawmaker with the centre-left S&D group. Some in the bloc, including France and Spain, have questioned the effectiveness of return centres, which the International Rescue Committee (IRC), an NGO, has described as "legal black holes". (ANSA-AFP).