Germany, Austria – Greece, Denmark and the Netherlands have agreed to develop a joint model for return hubs outside the European Union for people whose asylum claims have been finally rejected.
The five governments reached the understanding at a meeting in Copenhagen on Friday. They aim to conclude an agreement with a non-EU country by the end of 2026 and begin transfers in 2027.
The move shifts the proposal from political discussion toward planning for an operational system.
Proposed hubs would be located outside EU
Under the model, people who receive final return decisions could be transferred to facilities in a third country outside the EU.
The Council of the European Union and European Parliament agreed earlier in 2026 on rules that allow member states to establish such return hubs. The facilities could serve as a final destination or as a transfer point before a person moves to another country.
The framework requires agreements with host countries to comply with international human-rights standards and the principle of non-refoulement.
Host country has not been chosen
The five governments have not identified a final host country for the proposed hub.
African countries have emerged as potential partners, with Rwanda among the countries mentioned in reporting about possible arrangements. However, negotiations remain at an early stage, and no agreement with a host government has been announced.
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The participating countries want technical talks to move quickly enough to support an agreement by the end of 2026.
EU rules establish the legal framework
The plan follows changes to the EU’s return policy agreed earlier this year.
The Council and European Parliament reached a provisional agreement in June on rules intended to make returns more effective for people without a legal right to remain in the bloc. The agreement includes provisions for return hubs in third countries while requiring safeguards for fundamental rights.
The rules form part of the wider implementation of the EU Migration and Asylum Pact.
Rejected asylum claims are at the center
The proposed hubs would apply to people who have already received return decisions. They would not cover people whose asylum applications remain under consideration.
That distinction separates the proposed system from the asylum process itself. The framework targets people who no longer have a legal right to remain in an EU member state.
The system is intended to support their eventual return to their country of origin or to another country willing to receive them.
Unaccompanied minors are excluded from the relevant return-hub arrangements under the agreed EU rules.
Governments seek faster returns
Governments backing the model argue that existing systems do not return enough people whose asylum or residency claims have been rejected.
The Council said its June agreement aims to make returns faster and more effective across the EU. The rules also strengthen cooperation between member states.
For Germany, Austria, Greece, Denmark and the Netherlands, the joint effort seeks to turn those legal provisions into an operational arrangement.
Rights protections remain a key issue
The proposed system is likely to face scrutiny over the treatment of people transferred outside the EU.
The EU framework requires agreements with third countries to respect international law and human-rights standards. This includes the principle of non-refoulement, which prohibits returning people to places where they could face persecution or serious harm.
The agreed rules also require arrangements to set out return procedures, conditions of stay and consequences if a host country breaches the agreement.
Earlier efforts provide a precedent
European governments have explored external arrangements for processing or transferring migrants for years, with varying outcomes.
The latest initiative comes after a long debate over whether countries outside the EU should play a larger role in Europe’s migration and return system.
Supporters argue that third-country arrangements could strengthen the enforcement of return decisions. Critics have raised questions about legal safeguards and whether countries outside the EU will accept people transferred under such agreements.
Five governments seek a joint approach
The participation of five governments could give the proposal greater political weight.
Germany, Austria, Greece, Denmark and the Netherlands face different migration pressures and operate under different national systems. All five, however, have an interest in increasing the number of people who leave the EU after receiving final return decisions.
A coordinated approach could also allow the countries to negotiate with potential host governments collectively.
Major hurdles remain
The agreement between the five countries does not mean a return hub is ready to receive people.
The governments must still identify a host country, negotiate an agreement and establish legal and operational conditions. Their current target is an agreement by the end of 2026, followed by transfers in 2027.
Financing, oversight, legal protections and arrangements for onward returns will also need to be resolved.
EU return policy moves toward implementation
The initiative adds to the EU’s broader effort to strengthen its return system.
The new framework gives member states a legal basis for establishing return facilities outside the bloc while requiring rights protections. The five-country initiative now seeks to determine how that framework can operate in practice.
Its success will depend on negotiations with third countries and on whether participating governments can resolve the legal, financial and humanitarian questions surrounding transfers.
Reporting Credit: Council of the European Union; European Parliament; governments of Denmark, Germany, Austria, Greece and the Netherlands.
