EU Approves Rules for Return Hubs Outside Bloc

By Thomas Whitaker Boise, ID · POLITICS DESK

Published Updated 4 min read

The European Union approved rules allowing member states to establish return hubs outside the bloc. Denmark plans to transfer irregular migrants to a partner country by 2027.

New rules permitting European Union member states to set up "return hubs" outside the bloc have been approved by the EU, creating a unified legal framework for returns. A joint agreement among Denmark, Greece, Germany, Austria, and the Netherlands supports establishing such hubs in non-EU countries for individuals who no longer have legal grounds to stay in Europe.

In an October 2025 discussion paper, the European Council indicated that return hubs might encourage voluntary repatriation and deter those without legitimate asylum claims from undertaking perilous trips to Europe. According to EU Migration Commissioner Magnus Brunner, "Europe needs the means to protect its borders at all times. When movements are engineered and weaponised against us, this is not just a migration issue; it is a security issue. Of course we will always comply with fundamental rights and values."

Danish Interior Minister Morten Bødskov said, When it comes to return hubs, it's progressing very well. We are moving in the right direction." Denmark anticipates being able to begin transferring irregular migrants to a partner country beyond the EU by 2027. While no specific locations have been confirmed for these hubs, Rwanda has been mentioned as a possible destination."

A statement from the Greek government noted that the hubs would be located in safe third countries, especially in Africa. In 2025, the European Commission reported a 28% return rate for rejected asylum seekers—the highest over the past decade.

Irregular entries into the EU fell by 35 percent in 2025, while returns rose by 8 percent during the first half of that year. Peter Walsh, a senior researcher at the University of Oxford's Migration Observatory, said, "One lesson may be that European governments should expect litigation, even where the third country looks considerably less controversial than Rwanda. These policies are often justified as deterrence measures, and that assumes a sufficiently large share of people believe there is a realistic chance they will actually be transferred. If only a very small proportion can be moved, the deterrent may be much less credible. The broader lesson from Rwanda is that externalization is not a shortcut around the difficult parts of migration policy. It may relocate some of those difficulties geographically, but governments still have to deal with courts, individual rights, administrative capacity, countries that may not cooperate with returns, and substantial costs."

Why It Matters

The creation of return hubs signals a change in the EU’s approach to migration, shifting toward processing asylum cases outside its borders. Requirements that partner nations uphold international human rights standards and the principle of non-refoulement reflect lessons learned from earlier efforts, such as the UK’s Rwanda initiative. That program was ruled unlawful by the U.K. Supreme Court in 2023 and officially discontinued by the Labour government in 2024.

By June 2024, the British Home Office reported spending £715 million on the Rwanda scheme, with no forced relocations carried out and only four individuals traveling voluntarily to Rwanda. Rwanda has featured in several offshore migration proposals, including the UK’s 2022 plan, and is now under review as a potential partner for EU return hubs. As outlined in the European Council’s 2025 discussion paper, the strategic goal is to reduce hazardous crossings and strengthen border security.

Timeline

The U.K. Supreme Court ruled the former Conservative Party government's scheme to send asylum seekers to Rwanda unlawful in 2023. The U.K. Labour Party government formally abandoned the Rwanda deportation policy in 2024. The British Home Office stated that £715 million had been spent on the Rwanda program by June 2024, no asylum seekers were forcibly relocated, and four people traveled voluntarily to Rwanda.

A discussion paper published by the European Council in October 2025 stated that return hubs could incentivize voluntary returns and discourage people without valid asylum claims from making dangerous journeys to Europe. The European Commission proposed the regulation on establishing common rules for the return of third-country nationals in March 2025, aiming to complement the pact on migration and asylum, which started implementation on 12 June 2026. Denmark expects to be ready to transfer the first irregular migrants to a partner country outside the EU within 2027.

What's New

The EU's new Return Regulation requires that agreements for return hubs be concluded with third countries that respect international human rights standards and the principle of non-refoulement, as outlined in the Council of the European Union's official documents. In 2025, irregular arrivals to the EU decreased by 35 percent, while returns increased by 8 percent in the first half of the year, suggesting a possible shift in migration patterns that may influence the effectiveness of the new return framework.

The European Council published a discussion paper in October 2025 stating that return hubs could incentivize voluntary returns and discourage people without valid asylum claims from making dangerous journeys to Europe, suggesting a strategic intent behind the policy. The return rate of rejected asylum seekers in the EU was 28% in 2025, according to the European Commission, which is the highest return rate in the previous 10 years. Rwanda has been at the center of multiple offshore migration plans, including the UK's 2022 scheme, and is currently under consideration as a potential partner country for EU return hubs, though concerns about its adherence to international human rights standards persist.

fact_check Facts

The European Union approved new rules establishing a bloc-wide legal framework for returns and allowing member states to establish "return hubs" outside the EU.
Greece, Germany, Austria, Denmark, and the Netherlands have agreed on a common framework to establish return hubs outside the EU for people who have exhausted their legal options to remain in Europe.
Under the new EU rules, any agreement or arrangement for return hubs may only be concluded with a non-EU country that respects international human rights standards and the principle of non-refoulement.
A discussion paper published by the European Council in October 2025 stated that return hubs could incentivize voluntary returns and discourage people without valid asylum claims from making dangerous journeys to Europe.
Morten Bødskov, Danish Interior Minister
Danish Interior Minister Morten Bødskov said, "When it comes to return hubs, it's progressing very well. We are moving in the right direction."
Greek Migration Minister Thanos Plevris said Greece expects to have a pilot return hub project in place in the first half of next year.
A Greek government statement said the return hubs would be established in safe third countries, particularly on the African continent.
No potential destinations for EU return hubs have been confirmed, although Rwanda has been reported as a possible partner.
Dutch Migration Minister Bart van den Brink said a technical mission visited a potential host country in early September, and the Group of Five aims to identify the host country by the end of this year, with transfers beginning in 2027.
Greece proposed that EU member states be allowed to temporarily suspend asylum applications during periods of mass migration.
Thanos Plevris, Greek Migration Minister
Greek Migration Minister Thanos Plevris said, "In such cases, there should be enhanced border surveillance and suspension of asylum."
Bart van den Brink, Dutch Migration Minister
Dutch Migration Minister Bart van den Brink said mass arrivals like those in Ceuta should be treated as a border management issue rather than an asylum issue.
Magnus Brunner, EU Migration Commissioner
EU Migration Commissioner Magnus Brunner said, "Europe needs the means to protect its borders at all times. When movements are engineered and weaponised against us, this is not just a migration issue; it is a security issue. Of course we will always comply with fundamental rights and values."

menu_bookBackground & Sources

Context and data our newsroom added to the originating report, with the primary source for each item shown below it.

Greek Migration Minister Thanos Plevris said, "I am a fan of President Trump. But if you ask me what was the best thing he did, it was change the migration policy of the USA, because now we have a new migration policy also in Europe."
The U.K. Supreme Court ruled the former Conservative Party government's scheme to send asylum seekers to Rwanda unlawful in 2023.
The U.K. Labour Party government formally abandoned the Rwanda deportation policy in 2024.
The British Home Office stated that £715 million had been spent on the Rwanda program by June 2024, no asylum seekers were forcibly relocated, and four people traveled voluntarily to Rwanda.
Peter Walsh, a senior researcher at the University of Oxford's Migration Observatory, said, "One lesson may be that European governments should expect litigation, even where the third country looks considerably less controversial than Rwanda. These policies are often justified as deterrence measures, and that assumes a sufficiently large share of people believe there is a realistic chance they will actually be transferred. If only a very small proportion can be moved, the deterrent may be much less credible. The broader lesson from Rwanda is that externalization is not a shortcut around the difficult parts of migration policy. It may relocate some of those difficulties geographically, but governments still have to deal with courts, individual rights, administrative capacity, countries that may not cooperate with returns, and substantial costs."
Jacob Reynolds, policy director at the Freedom and Sovereignty Initiative Europe, called the EU decision to embrace return hubs a "welcome step towards gaining control of our borders and removing those who have no right to be here." He added that "outsourcing the problem of illegal migration to third countries — as the EU has long done — risks avoiding the broader problem: the lack of control over EU countries' borders." He called for "much more fundamental action" to address "the generous regimes available to asylum seekers in Europe," and said until that happened, "the problem will not be solved."
Irregular arrivals to the EU are down 35 percent this year, while returns rose about 8 percent in the first half of the year.
The European Commission proposed the regulation on establishing common rules for the return of third-country nationals in March 2025, aiming to complement the pact on migration and asylum, which started implementation on 12 June 2026.
In 2022, the United Kingdom launched a controversial deportation scheme to send asylum-seekers to Rwanda, which was later abandoned after legal challenges found Rwanda did not meet international human rights standards, particularly regarding the principle of non-refoulement.
Between 2022 and 2024, the UK spent £715 million on its Rwanda deportation program, but only four individuals were voluntarily relocated, highlighting the challenges of implementing such programs despite significant financial investment.
The UK-Rwanda scheme, which aimed to transfer asylum seekers to Rwanda, cost the UK £715 million by June 2024, with no asylum seekers forcibly relocated and only four people traveling voluntarily to Rwanda.
The U.K. Supreme Court ruled the Rwanda deportation policy unlawful in 2023, stating that Rwanda could not be considered a safe third country under international refugee law.
The EU's new Return Regulation requires that agreements for return hubs be concluded with third countries that respect international human rights standards and the principle of non-refoulement, as outlined in the Council of the European Union's official documents.
The European Council published a discussion paper in October 2025 stating that return hubs could incentivize voluntary returns and discourage people without valid asylum claims from making dangerous journeys to Europe, suggesting a strategic intent behind the policy.
The return rate of rejected asylum seekers in the EU was 28% in 2025, according to the European Commission, which is the highest return rate in the previous 10 years.
Source: consilium.europa.eu
In May 2026, Austria signed an agreement on economic cooperation and migration with Uzbekistan, which includes provisions related to the return of irregular migrants.

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