Five European Countries Plan Offshore Return Centers for Migrants
Germany, Austria, Greece, Denmark and the Netherlands aim to reach agreements this year to send migrants without legal residency rights to return centers outside the European Union.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - Five European countries are seeking to conclude agreements this year to send migrants who do not have legal residency rights to countries outside the European Union, as part of a renewed European effort to curb irregular migration.
Germany, Austria, Greece, Denmark and the Netherlands announced the plan during a meeting hosted by Denmark in Copenhagen on Friday, saying they had agreed on concrete steps toward reaching an agreement with a non-EU country to establish return centers.
The five countries, known as the “Group of Five,” did not identify which countries could host the centers.
The group, which has held a series of meetings this year, plans to meet again in Munich, Germany, at the end of September.
The move comes after the European Parliament approved a comprehensive reform of EU migration policy in June aimed at accelerating deportation procedures and allowing member states to establish centers outside the bloc.
Critics say the reform could weaken safeguards available to asylum seekers.
Non-governmental organizations have also criticized the plans, expressing concerns over their potential impact on the human rights of affected migrants. The plans are also expected to face a significant number of legal challenges.
The Council of Europe, a body separate from the European Union that works to promote human rights, democracy and the rule of law across the continent, said in July that return centers posed “significant risks to human rights.”
Several other groups have also criticized the proposal.
Charlotte Slente, secretary general of the Danish Refugee Council, said a better approach would be to implement the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum, which focuses on strengthening border screening procedures, speeding up asylum and return procedures, and expanding digital systems for managing asylum applications.
Danish Minister for Immigration and Integration Morten Bødskov said Denmark expects to be ready to send migrants to a return center by the end of 2027.
“It is a new opportunity to live a life in a partner country,” Bødskov said, according to Reuters.
The five countries will also consult with the International Organization for Migration and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees on the next steps, he said.