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🇧🇪 Belgium /Elections & Politics

Five EU countries seek deal with non-EU state for return hubs by early 2027

From VRT NWS · () Dutch

Translated from Dutch and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources New plan
  • Denmark, Greece, Austria, Germany and the Netherlands aim to reach a principle agreement with a non-EU partner by the turn of the year and transfer the first rejected asylum seekers by the end of 2027.
  • The countries have not identified a partner publicly, although Rwanda and Uganda have been mentioned.
  • Belgium’s CD&V supports joining the initiative, while coalition partners Vooruit and Les Engagés say the plan crosses limits in European return rules.

Five European Union countries are pushing to establish a return hub outside the bloc, with Denmark, Greece, Austria, Germany and the Netherlands hoping to reach a principle agreement around the turn of the year.

We hope to have reached a principle agreement around the turn of the year with a partner country outside the European Union for the creation of a return hub.

· Morten BødskovThe Danish migration minister described the timetable after talks in Copenhagen.

“We hope to have reached a principle agreement around the turn of the year with a partner country outside the European Union for the creation of a return hub,” Danish Migration Minister Morten Bødskov said after the countries met in Copenhagen. Denmark expects to be ready to transfer the first rejected asylum seekers to such a hub by the end of next year.

The ministers did not say which non-EU country they are considering. A delegation from the five countries visited Rwanda last week, while Uganda has also been mentioned. Greek Migration Minister Thanos Plevris said advanced talks had taken place with several countries outside the EU.

We do not accept that foreigners who are staying illegally in Denmark are rewarded for the difficulties we face in returning them.

· Morten BødskovBødskov explained the purpose of the return-hub initiative.

Bødskov said the initiative was intended to ensure that foreigners staying illegally in Denmark would not benefit from the difficulties authorities face in returning them. CD&V leader Sammy Mahdi urged Belgium’s federal government to explore joining the plan. He warned that Belgium could face a new influx of asylum seekers and people without legal status if other EU countries use return hubs while Belgium does not.

The government must investigate how our country can make return hubs possible.

· Sammy MahdiThe CD&V leader called on Belgium to join the initiative.

Prime Minister Bart De Wever and 18 other European leaders agreed at a June summit to move quickly on return hubs in third countries. Belgium’s government remains divided. Vooruit and Les Engagés say the hubs cross red lines in the European return regulation. The EU member states and European Parliament reached an agreement in June providing a legal basis for centers outside EU territory, a move that has alarmed human rights defenders.

If Belgium does not return illegal migrants through return hubs and the rest of the EU does, the influx of asylum seekers and people without papers here could increase sharply again.

· Sammy MahdiMahdi warned about the possible effect on Belgium if it stays outside the plan.
About this summary

Originally published by VRT NWS in Dutch. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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