A coalition of five European Union member states, including Greece, Germany, Austria, Denmark, and the Netherlands, has announced plans to establish the first shared migrant return hub on African soil. The facility, set to open in the second half of 2027, will target individuals whose asylum claims have been rejected by EU courts. Greece's Migration Minister, Thanos Plevris, confirmed the plan, linking the timeline to Greece's upcoming presidency of the EU Council.
The proposed facility will operate as an open transit centre, not a closed detention site, with EU states maintaining legal responsibility for transferred individuals. According to Plevris, the centre will be used while final removals to a migrant's country of origin are being organised. An African host country has been selected, but its identity has not been publicly disclosed. Diplomatic sources suggest Rwanda or Uganda as possible locations, although neither has been officially confirmed.
The project will be fully financed by the five participating states, with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees and the International Organisation for Migration expected to provide monitoring oversight. The EU Return Regulation, agreed upon by the Council and European Parliament on 17 June 2026, provides a common legal framework for the initiative. This revised regulation permits transfers to third countries without requiring a migrant to have a prior personal connection there.
Previous attempts by individual European governments to pursue similar arrangements have been costly and troubled. The UK's Rwanda deportation plan was struck down in 2024, and Italy's agreement with Albania faced immediate obstacles. Denmark also halted its Rwanda negotiations in early 2023 due to pushback from the European Commission and rights organisations.
Human rights organisations, including Amnesty International and Doctors Without Borders, have raised concerns over the plan, citing concerns about oversight, legal representation, and medical care. They warn that previous experiences have shown high financial costs and limited actual returns. The organisations emphasise the need for independent oversight and adequate protections within the hubs.
The five-nation coalition aims to address the challenges faced by previous schemes and ensure a more effective and humane approach to migrant returns. The proposed facility is expected to provide a more streamlined and coordinated process for returning migrants to their countries of origin. However, concerns about the plan's feasibility and potential human rights implications remain.
In a related development, the US has started detaining foreign nationals with expired visas directly at airports. This move is part of a broader effort to crack down on visa overstays, with ICE carrying out arrests at check-in counters, boarding gates, and arrival terminals across at least 15 airports in recent weeks.
Key points
- The proposed migrant return hub will be located in an unnamed African country and is expected to open in 2027.
- The facility will operate as an open transit centre, not a closed detention site, with EU states maintaining legal responsibility for transferred individuals.
- Human rights organisations have raised concerns over the plan, citing concerns about oversight, legal representation, and medical care.
