Europe Turns To Africa As 5 EU States Plan First Deportation Centre

Greece, Germany, Austria, Denmark and the Netherlands are advancing plans to establish so-called “return hubs” outside the European Union, with the first facility expected to become operational in Africa in 2027.

According to Bush Radio Academy, the five countries have been working on a joint model for facilities that would accommodate irregular migrants who have no legal right to remain in the EU and cannot immediately be returned to their countries of origin.

Danish Interior Minister Morten Bødskov said discussions with potential partner countries were progressing, although he did not disclose the identity of the countries involved.

“We are moving in the right direction,” Bødskov said while arriving for an EU meeting after discussions with counterparts from Germany, Austria, Greece and the Netherlands.

German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt also confirmed that preliminary discussions were underway, but said more work was required to ensure that any eventual agreements would be legally sustainable and able to withstand possible court challenges.

Dobrindt expressed hope that an initial agreement could be concluded before the end of the year.

The initiative comes amid broader efforts within the EU to strengthen migration controls and increase the number of people returned after being denied the right to remain in the bloc.

EU migration officials have also discussed cooperation with non-EU countries considered important points along migration routes. EU Migration Commissioner Magnus Brunner identified Pakistan and Bangladesh among the countries of focus, noting that some migrants travel through the Gulf and Egypt before reaching Libya and attempting to cross the Mediterranean.

The five-country initiative has reportedly focused on potential African partners, with Rwanda and Uganda among the countries mentioned in reports. However, the participating governments have not publicly confirmed which country would host the first facility.

Recent reports indicate that Greece’s Migration Minister Thanos Plevris said an African country had been selected for the proposed first hub, although its identity had not been disclosed publicly. The facility is expected to be an open centre rather than a conventional detention facility, according to the minister.

The proposed return hubs are linked to the EU’s new return framework, which provides for agreements with third countries to receive people who have no legal right to stay in the EU, subject to international human-rights standards and the principle of non-refoulement.

The plans have nevertheless attracted criticism from human-rights organisations, which have raised concerns about the treatment, detention and possible onward return of migrants transferred to facilities outside the EU. Amnesty International has warned that such arrangements could create significant human-rights risks.

The five governments say the proposed hubs are intended to improve the effectiveness of return procedures and reduce irregular migration, while agreements with host countries would determine how the facilities operate and the responsibilities of the countries involved.

The initiative is expected to remain a major part of discussions on the EU’s evolving migration policy, with the participating countries targeting 2027 for the transfer of the first irregular migrants to a partner country outside the bloc.