Copenhagen: Denmark, Germany, Austria, the Netherlands and Greece have agreed to work towards setting up “return hubs” outside the European Union for migrants whose asylum applications have been rejected.
The five countries announced the plan after a meeting in Copenhagen, with the aim of starting transfers to such centres by early 2027. The proposed system would apply to migrants who have exhausted their legal options and cannot be immediately returned to their countries of origin.
Denmark’s Migration Minister Morten Bødskov described the initiative as a major change in Europe’s approach to migration. The participating countries are in discussions with potential non-EU partner nations, with Rwanda among the countries being considered, although no final host country has been confirmed.
Dutch Migration Minister Bart van den Brink described the proposal as a significant step aimed at tackling irregular migration and people-smuggling.
The plan has faced strong opposition from human rights groups, including Amnesty International and PICUM, which have raised concerns about migrants’ rights and the difficulty of monitoring conditions in facilities located outside the EU. Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Michael O’Flaherty has also called for strong safeguards to protect migrants.
The five governments maintain that any return hubs would have to operate in line with international law and human-rights standards, with appropriate monitoring mechanisms.
For Indians considering irregular routes to Europe, the proposed policy could make it harder to remain in an EU country after an asylum claim is rejected. However, the return-hub system is still being negotiated, and its final structure, host countries and implementation procedures have yet to be settled.
