Overview
- Ministers from Germany, Denmark, Austria, the Netherlands and Greece met in Copenhagen on Friday and agreed to deepen technical talks with potential host states and to aim for a partner-country deal by the end of this year.
- Denmark says it expects to be ready to transfer rejected asylum seekers to a partner country by late 2027 and the group plans the hubs to increase deportation capacity and deter irregular migration.
- Delegations from the five-state ‘implementer’ group recently held talks in Rwanda and reports name Rwanda and Uganda as likely candidate hosts for the planned Return Hubs.
- Save the Children and other rights groups warn the centres could create unsafe conditions for children and point out that the EU return regulation only exempts unaccompanied minors from transfer, leaving children with families at risk.
- The proposal relies on a June EU return regulation but faces legal, political and cost risks, with critics citing the failed UK–Rwanda scheme and the absence of EU-wide agreement on the approach.