Five European Union member states, including Germany, Denmark, Austria, the Netherlands and Greece, reached an agreement at a meeting in Copenhagen on the establishment of “return centers” outside the EU.
Publish dateSunday 6 September 2026 - 09:42
Story Code : 364738
Afghan Voice Agency (AVA): According to this plan, refugees whose asylum applications have been rejected and who cannot be immediately returned to their country of origin will be transferred to these centers in third countries.
The interior ministers of these countries, known as the “Group of Five”, announced that the goal is to conclude the first agreement with a non-EU country by the end of this year. According to forecasts, these centers will be operational from 2027 and their costs will be fully covered by the five countries.
Although the host countries have not been officially announced, media speculation suggests that Uganda and especially Rwanda are among the main options for establishing these centers. German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt has stated that the aim of this measure is to “break the criminal logic of human trafficking gangs.” Danish Immigration Minister Morten Badescu has also emphasized that these centers are not “prisons” or “detention camps,” but rather places to give illegal immigrants a “second chance.”
However, the plan has met with strong reactions from human rights organizations and some European countries. The Council of Europe has warned that these centers pose “significant risks to human rights.” The Danish Refugee Council has also not considered the plan to prevent migrants from using more dangerous routes and has called it a violation of the fundamental rights of refugees. French President Emmanuel Macron has also considered this approach ineffective and contrary to European values.
The interior ministers of these countries, known as the “Group of Five”, announced that the goal is to conclude the first agreement with a non-EU country by the end of this year. According to forecasts, these centers will be operational from 2027 and their costs will be fully covered by the five countries.
Although the host countries have not been officially announced, media speculation suggests that Uganda and especially Rwanda are among the main options for establishing these centers. German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt has stated that the aim of this measure is to “break the criminal logic of human trafficking gangs.” Danish Immigration Minister Morten Badescu has also emphasized that these centers are not “prisons” or “detention camps,” but rather places to give illegal immigrants a “second chance.”
However, the plan has met with strong reactions from human rights organizations and some European countries. The Council of Europe has warned that these centers pose “significant risks to human rights.” The Danish Refugee Council has also not considered the plan to prevent migrants from using more dangerous routes and has called it a violation of the fundamental rights of refugees. French President Emmanuel Macron has also considered this approach ineffective and contrary to European values.
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