Politico: EU considers migrant return hubs in Rwanda, Uzbekistan

A group of European Union member states is considering transferring rejected asylum seekers to Rwanda and Uzbekistan under plans to establish migrant return hubs outside the bloc, according to three European diplomats, Politico reports, citing a letter.

The outlet said the initiative follows the adoption of new EU legislation allowing member states to create facilities in non-EU countries for migrants who have exhausted their legal options to remain in the bloc, provided host countries comply with human rights standards and international law.

More than half of the EU's 27 member states recently called for the rapid implementation of the scheme.

Denmark, Austria, Greece, Germany and Netherlands have been among the leading advocates of processing rejected asylum seekers outside EU territory.

“Our goal is to conclude the first agreements for the creation of these structures in 2026, so that they are operational from 2027,” Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis noted before the legislation was approved.

The countries that could host the facilities have not yet been selected, and negotiations remain at an early stage, diplomats stressed.

The proposal follows several previous attempts by European governments to manage migration beyond the continent's borders. The United Kingdom's Rwanda deportation plan was abandoned after years of legal challenges, while Italy's migrant processing centers in Albania have faced repeated court obstacles.

Although Rwanda and Uzbekistan are currently being considered, any agreements would need to be negotiated by individual member states. The European Commission and other EU governments would also need to be informed before any facility becomes operational.

Another country reportedly under discussion is Uganda. However, countries closer to Europe, including Egypt and Libya, have reportedly been ruled out due to concerns that their proximity could encourage people-smuggling activities.

Ahead of the legislation's adoption, Cyprus Migration Minister Nicholas Ioannides said the “general idea” was to establish such centers “maybe in Africa or Asia,” but “not close to European borders.”

He added that respect for human rights would serve as a key criterion in any agreement and that organisations such as the UN refugee agency and the International Organisation for Migration could help monitor compliance.

Critics have raised concerns about the proposal. Jean-Nicolas Beuze argued that refugees could face serious risks if transferred to third countries, while French President Emmanuel Macron questioned the effectiveness of such centres.

“I have never ⁠seen a return center in a third country that ​actually works,” Macron said in Brussels last week, adding, “I’m not sure that’s what our Europe is about.”

Meanwhile, Mélissa Camara said establishing return hubs outside the EU would undermine the bloc’s commitment to dignity and fundamental rights.

Under the new rules, the centres would accommodate individuals who have already received final rejection decisions and are awaiting deportation, distinguishing the initiative from earlier offshore migration proposals that focused on asylum seekers or newly arrived migrants.

By Bakhtiyar Abbasov