By October 2, 2026, several European Union countries have made strides in implementing plans to deport asylum seekers with rejected applications. These individuals might be sent to third countries outside the EU, including nations in Africa. The EU ratified new guidelines this week, facilitating the initiative.
Countries like Greece, Germany, Austria, Denmark, and the Netherlands have forged a unified approach to create ‘return hubs’ outside the EU. These hubs will serve as destinations for people who have exhausted their options to stay in Europe and cannot be repatriated to their origin countries.
Denmark’s Interior Minister, Morten Bødskov, confidently remarked on the progress of the initiative. He indicated that the country aims to start transferring irregular migrants to partner countries outside the EU by 2027. Greek Migration Minister Thanos Plevris disclosed aims for a pilot program in early 2027.
Potential destinations for these return hubs are still unconfirmed, although Rwanda has been mentioned as a likely partner. A Greek government statement specified that the hubs would be set up in safe third countries, particularly in Africa.
The EU has promoted these hubs as potential deterrents to irregular immigration. An EU discussion paper published in October 2025 suggested the hubs could encourage voluntary returns and discourage individuals from making perilous journeys to Europe without valid asylum claims.
The newly adopted EU rules establish a comprehensive legal framework for returns. They permit member states to negotiate agreements with non-EU countries, following stipulations. Agreements must occur with countries that uphold international human rights standards and principles, including non-refoulement, which ensures no one is returned to a place where they might face torture or severe harm.
Following U.S. and U.K. Practices
The Trump administration in the U.S. extensively used third-country deportations to deal with undocumented migrants. Internal government documents revealed over 100 deportees were sent to African countries like Liberia, Rwanda, Eswatini, and Sierra Leone within ten days in August.
Greece’s migration minister, Thanos Plevris, expressed admiration for Trump’s migration policy changes, notably influencing similar policy shifts in Europe.
European governments have experimented with third-country deportations before, with mixed outcomes.
Lessons from the U.K.
Britain previously attempted a similar program where asylum seekers arriving through irregular means were sent to Rwanda for processing. However, the U.K. Supreme Court ruled the scheme unlawful, citing the risk of refugees being returned to places where they might face persecution.
The Labor Party government later abandoned the scheme, which had already consumed £715 million ($950 million) without forcibly relocating any asylum seekers.
Peter Walsh of the University of Oxford’s Migration Observatory suggested litigation could ensue, even in less controversial third-country arrangements than those with Rwanda.
Walsh noted that such policies are framed as deterrents, relying on the belief of many that transfer could realistically occur. If only a small number are transferred, the deterrence effect diminishes.
Walsh explained that although externalization might shift challenges geographically, governments still face legal obligations, administrative hurdles, inconsistent cooperation from third countries, and sizable costs.
Broader Implications
The initiative reflects a broader quest by European countries to fortify their immigration policies amid pressure to increase deportations of individuals without legal residency rights.
Jacob Reynolds, from Freedom and Sovereignty Initiative Europe, welcomed the EU’s embrace of return hubs, viewing them as an attempt to regain border control and remove unauthorized persons.
However, Reynolds cautioned against outsourcing the challenge of illegal migration to third countries, advocating for more comprehensive measures to address asylum seeker regimes within Europe.
Until fundamental changes occur, he predicted, the problem would persist.