Five EU countries aim to send rejected migrants to 'return hubs' by 2027
Five EU countries are collaborating to establish 'return hubs' outside the European Union for rejected asylum seekers by 2027. The initiative aims to manage migration more strictly, though it faces criticism from human rights organizations.
Why it matters
This represents a significant shift in European migration policy, reflecting a broader trend of outsourcing asylum processing to non-EU nations.
“Five European Union (EU) countries are seeking a deal with an unnamed non-EU country to host a "return hub" for migrants whose asylum applications have been rejected, with a targeted start date of January 1,” a Danish Minister said on Friday (September 4, 2026).
Denmark, Greece, Austria, Germany, and the Netherlands agreed to the initiative as Copenhagen hosted talks on the creation of migrant detention centres outside Europe.
"Around New Year, we expect to have a common understanding with a partner country outside of the European Union," said Danish Migrations Minister Morten Bodskov. The partner country or countries have not been disclosed, but Uganda and Rwanda in particular are seen as possibilities. Upon arriving at the meeting, Greek Migration and Asylum Minister Thanos Plevris said the goal was to have "the return hub operational in a country outside the European Union by 2027."
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