Five EU countries agree on plan to send irregular migrants to return centers

Denmark, Austria, Germany, the Netherlands and Greece have agreed on a common model for “return centers” outside the European Union, with the aim of negotiating arrangements with non-EU countries.

The centers would house asylum seekers whose applications had been rejected by the five countries and who could not be returned to their countries of origin. The governments expect to be ready to send irregular migrants to the centers by next year, while a first agreement is expected to be signed by 2027.

The partner countries have not been identified. Uganda and Rwanda have been mentioned by media reports as the most likely options. The five EU countries are expected to finance the centers fully. They could also provide additional funding, conclude commercial agreements or offer other incentives to partner governments.

“The system of return centers will be created on the basis of equal and mutually beneficial partnerships with countries outside the EU,” the document said. The new model is expected to significantly reduce the number of people migrating illegally to the EU.

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The system of return centers will be created on the basis of equal and mutually beneficial partnerships with countries outside the EU.