Five EU countries advance plans for return hubs outside the EU
Ministers from Austria, Denmark, Germany, Greece and the Netherlands met in Copenhagen on 4 September to discuss the establishment of return hubs in countries outside the EU. The five countries agreed on guiding principles for the proposed model and on a common timeframe for the national legal processes required for its implementation. Amnesty International warned that such arrangements could pose serious risks to human rights.
The meeting was hosted by Danish Minister for Immigration and Integration Morten Bødskov and brought together the five countries forming the so-called Core Group on Return Hubs. The European Commission also participated in the meeting as an observer.
The five countries agreed on three guiding principles for a future Return Hub Model. The model should have a measurable impact on reducing irregular migration to the EU and contribute to a more humane migration system, while also helping to disrupt migrant smugglers’ business model. It should be developed in full compliance with EU and international law, particularly international human rights law, and established through an equal and mutually beneficial partnership with countries outside the EU.
The countries also agreed on next steps, including active dialogue and negotiations with potential partner countries, missions to assess whether potential partners meet the agreed principles, and a common timeframe for the national legal processes required before the model can become operational.
Several potential partner countries were being discussed, according to the Austrian Federal Ministry of the Interior, which stated that at least one partner country should be identified by the end of 2026. Denmark also indicated that it expected to be ready to send the first third-country nationals without a legal right to stay to a partner country by the end of 2027.
Ahead of the meeting, Amnesty International warned that, by their very design and regardless of where they are located, return hubs carry a risk of serious human rights violations, including arbitrary detention, torture and other ill-treatment, and forced returns to countries of origin. The organisation also stated that negotiations between the five EU Member States were reportedly particularly advanced with Uganda and Rwanda. Amnesty stressed that any responsible government should categorically reject such plans, warning that return hubs could become “cruel black holes” for human rights.
For further information on the meeting and its outcome, please consult the Danish and Austrian statements.
