File photo: Migrants queue to enter a refectory in Milan, Italy (Picture credit: AP)
The countries said they aim to reach an agreement with a partner country this year, although they did not identify the country being considered. Germany, Austria, Greece, Denmark and the Netherlands announced the agreement on Friday after a meeting hosted by Denmark in Copenhagen.
The UN Refugee Agency said it had not been approached with details of the proposal and therefore could not comment on the specific arrangements or any potential role for UNHCR.
The ministers said the proposed hubs would operate in accordance with European and international law. The Netherlands’ minister of asylum and migration Bart van den Brink said technical talks and missions to potential partner countries would examine human rights conditions and living standards. Rwandan government spokesperson Yolande Makolo said one idea involved providing a safe place where people could receive medical care, training and rest while their cases were processed.
The initiative follows changes to EU migration policy. The European Parliament approved an overhaul of migration rules in June that allows member states to establish centres outside the EU and send rejected asylum seekers there instead of returning them directly to their home countries.
The initiative also faces opposition within Europe. French President Emmanuel Macron has dismissed the idea as ineffective and incompatible with European values.
Danish Immigration and Integration Minister Morten Bodskov said Denmark expected to be ready to send migrants to a return hub by the end of 2027. Greece’s migration and asylum minister Thanos Plevris said the goal was to have a hub operational outside the EU by 2027.