Germany and other European Union countries are aiming to finalize so-called “return hubs,” detention centers outside the bloc where they wish to send migrants whose asylum requests have been rejected, by the end of the year.
The European Parliament in June approved tougher migration rules that paved the way for the creation of “return hubs.”
“We want to reach an agreement with third countries this year,” which would then enable the establishment of so-called “return hubs,” said German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt after a meeting with his counterparts from Denmark, Greece, Austria and the Netherlands in Copenhagen on Friday.
He added that “technical discussions” were currently underway with countries outside the EU, but did not name such countries.
The highly controversial plan has been met with wide rejection from rights groups.
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What did the EU ministers say on ‘return hubs?’
The five EU countries whose ministers attended the Copenhagen meeting are seeking a deal with an undisclosed non-EU country to host the “return hubs.” Uganda and Rwanda in particular are seen as possibilities.
“Around New Year, we expect to have a common understanding with a partner country outside of the European Union,” said Danish Migrations Minister Morten Bodskov.
Both the Greek and Danish migration ministers said they wished for the “return hubs” to become operational by 2027.
“We do not accept that foreigners staying illegally in Denmark should be rewarded because of our difficulties in returning them,” Bodskov said in an earlier statement.
The controversial scheme had already been briefly adopted by the United Kingdom under the former conservative government, but has since been scrapped after the social democratic Labour Party came to power.
In Italy, the right-wing government of Giorgia Meloni reached a similar deal with Albania which currently faces legal challenges.
Edited by: Zac Crellin
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