European Union member states have begun scouting up to a dozen countries — among them Rwanda, Uganda and Uzbekistan — as potential hosts for “return hubs” where rejected asylum seekers could be held while awaiting deportation.
Discussions have centred on 12 nations: Rwanda, Ghana, Senegal, Tunisia, Libya, Mauritania, Egypt, Uganda, Uzbekistan, Armenia, Montenegro and Ethiopia. One source described the list as indicative rather than final.
Five member states — Denmark, Austria, Greece, Germany and the Netherlands — said in March they were coordinating efforts to identify willing partners. The talks were at an early stage and aimed at “testing the waters”, one source said.
The search has gained momentum since EU governments and the European Parliament agreed the Return Regulation on June 1, which lawmakers adopted on June 17. Provisions allowing return hubs would take effect immediately once the law is published in the EU’s Official Journal.
A diplomatic source said governments were focusing on countries where existing ties could smooth a deal. “You don’t just throw darts on a map,” the source said.
Uzbekistan already has a migration agreement with Germany, while Denmark has previously discussed the matter with Rwanda. German interior minister Alexander Dobrindt said Berlin aimed “to have reached agreements with third countries” by the end of the year.
The European Commission has said about 28 per cent of people ordered to leave the bloc were returned in 2025, the highest rate in a decade though still regarded as too low.
Supporters argue the hubs would deter irregular crossings and speed removals. Critics warn they risk stranding migrants in legal limbo and could hand leverage to host states.
Earlier attempts have struggled. The former British Conservative government’s plan to deport migrants to Rwanda collapsed amid court challenges, and Sir Keir Starmer’s Labour government scrapped it in 2024.
Rwanda is now seeking a further £100 million (€114 million) it says it is owed, a claim London denies. Italy’s processing centres in Albania, run under Italian law, have faced repeated legal challenges and slow take-up.
Right-wing figures across the bloc have welcomed the regulation, while Green and left-wing MEPs have condemned it as a breach of the EU’s commitments on human rights.
