Germany, Denmark, others seek migrant return centers outside EU

Key Points:

• Five European countries—Germany, Austria, Greece, Denmark, and the Netherlands—plan to sign agreements this year to establish return centers in non-EU countries for migrants without legal residency.
• The Group of Five aims to finalize deals to create "return hubs" to facilitate the deportation process, with plans to meet again in Munich in September to advance discussions.
• The European Parliament recently approved a migration policy overhaul to speed up deportations and allow member states to set up centers abroad, a move criticized for potentially weakening asylum seeker protections.
• Human rights organizations, including the Council of Europe and the Danish Refugee Council, have raised concerns that return hubs could violate basic human rights and may not effectively deter dangerous migration routes.
• Denmark anticipates being ready to send migrants to these return hubs by the end of 2027 and plans to coordinate with UN agencies such as the International Organization for Migration and the UN Refugee Agency.