Greece and four EU states plan third‑country 'return hubs' for rejected asylum seekers

Policy move and partners. A group of EU governments, with Greece coordinating, has advanced plans to create off‑shore reception sites in third countries, most likely in parts of Africa; formal technical meetings among the states are due to start within days. Athens says the initiative involves Germany, the Netherlands, Austria and Denmark and aims to process or hold individuals whose protection claims are refused, shifting some logistical work beyond EU territory. Officials frame the effort as a tool to discourage irregular journeys by increasing the chance that unsuccessful applicants will be removed rather than remain within the bloc.

Scale and operational shortfall. Greek ministers point to a sizable gap between arrivals and effective returns: annual migration arrivals are estimated at 40,000–50,000 while current enforced returns run at about 5,000–7,000 per year, leaving many rejected applicants unreturned. The government reported a recent fall in irregular arrivals—citing a 21% drop year‑on‑year, approximately 13,000 fewer people—and a sharper decline over recent months, but officials argue that returns capacity still lags demand. Planners say an initial operational plan should be drafted within months, though timelines for hosted facilities remain unspecified.

Diplomacy, law and risk. The proposal intersects with newly approved EU rules that expand grounds for denying asylum and may ease legal cover for external processing, but it also opens immediate diplomatic tasks: larger EU states are already in direct contact with potential host nations, and Greek ministers are holding bilateral talks with countries of origin and transit, including Italy, Spain and Pakistan. Humanitarian organisations and rights advocates are likely to challenge the approach in courts and public opinion arenas; operationally, such hubs would require negotiated readmission agreements, funding, security guarantees and clear legal protections for people held there.