Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark, Austria and Greece are moving ahead with plans to establish so-called “return hubs” outside the European Union for migrants who no longer have the legal right to remain in Europe.
An agreement reached by the five countries in Copenhagen on Sept. 4 calls for negotiations with non-EU countries that could host the facilities. The governments want to reach initial agreements by the end of 2026, while Denmark expects transfers to begin in 2027. No potential host country has been officially named.
Under the proposed system, migrants who have received a return decision but cannot or do not return to their countries of origin could instead be transferred to a third country that has agreed to host a return facility.
Rwanda has emerged in European discussions as one possible partner, although neither Rwanda nor the five European governments has confirmed an agreement. Previous European efforts to establish similar arrangements with African countries have also failed to produce a functioning system.
A new EU framework provides the legal basis for the idea.On 1 June, EU institutions reached a political agreement on a Common European System for Returns, which allows member states to establish return hubs in third countries through agreements with their governments. Such arrangements must comply with international human rights standards and the principle of non-refoulement.
Pressure to improve the return system has been growing as the gap between return decisions and actual removals remains substantial. EU countries ordered 108,475 non-EU citizens to leave during the first quarter of 2026, while 34,550 people were actually returned to third countries. The number of returns was 8.1% higher than a year earlier.
European governments argue that the new system should make returns faster and more effective while maintaining legal safeguards. The framework also introduces common procedures for return decisions and allows member states to recognize return decisions issued by other EU countries.
Human rights groups, however, have raised concerns about what could happen to people transferred outside the EU and whether adequate safeguards would be available in host countries. Amnesty International has warned specifically about the potential use of Rwanda and Uganda for such arrangements.
The initiative remains at an early stage. The five governments still need to identify partner countries and negotiate the agreements required to establish the proposed hubs. They are expected to continue discussions later this month, with another meeting planned in Munich.
