EU Plans Migrant Return Centres in 12 Countries Outside Europe
Brussels, 11 April 2026
The European Union is exploring establishing migrant return facilities in twelve countries including Rwanda, Ghana, Tunisia, and Libya, marking a dramatic shift in migration policy. With only 91,455 of 484,160 deportation orders successfully executed in 2023, the EU seeks to address its woefully inadequate return system through offshore centres scheduled for implementation by June 2026.
Twelve Target Countries Under Consideration
European officials have identified twelve specific nations as potential hosts for these controversial return centres: Rwanda, Ghana, Senegal, Tunisia, Libya, Mauritania, Egypt, Uganda, Uzbekistan, Armenia, Montenegro, and Ethiopia [1][4]. However, EU officials emphasised on 9 April 2026 that this list remains ‘indicative, far from finalised, and non-exhaustive’, with discussions still in very early stages aimed at testing the waters [4]. The selection encompasses a geographically diverse range of African, Middle Eastern, and Eastern European nations, reflecting the EU’s attempt to create multiple return pathways for different migrant populations.
Legal Framework and Implementation Timeline
The return hubs form part of the EU’s Migration and Asylum Pact, which is scheduled for full implementation in June 2026 [4]. On 26 March 2026, the European Parliament approved new migration policy enabling member states to create facilities in third countries for rejected asylum seekers awaiting return to their origin countries [6]. The policy establishes strict criteria for transfers: asylum seekers can only be sent to return hubs if they have family members in the destination country, have previously resided there, or have passed through it during their journey to the EU [5]. Crucially, unaccompanied minors cannot be sent to these hubs under any circumstances [5].
Addressing Europe’s Return Crisis
The initiative directly responds to Europe’s chronic inability to execute deportation orders effectively. Between 2014 and 2023, the EU issued between 450,000 and 500,000 annual orders for non-EU citizens to leave the bloc [1]. In 2023 specifically, 484,160 people were ordered to leave the EU, yet only 91,455 were actually deported [1]. This represents a success rate of merely 18.889 per cent, highlighting the massive implementation gap that offshore centres aim to address. Currently, only 20 per cent of those ordered to leave the EU actually do so [5].
Precedents and Practical Challenges
Previous attempts at offshore processing have yielded mixed results, providing both cautionary tales and potential models. The United Kingdom’s plan to transfer asylum seekers to Rwanda was cancelled in July 2024 by the new government, despite the previous administration having already paid billions of pounds to Rwanda [1]. Italy has provided millions of euros in financial support to Albania to establish centres for processing asylum applications under Italian law, but most transferred migrants were returned to Italy due to human rights concerns [1]. Since 2013, Australia has operated a system sending illegal entrants to countries like Nauru, where they can apply for asylum but cannot be granted protection in Australia [5].
Human Rights Concerns and Political Opposition
Human rights organisations have mounted fierce criticism against the external return hub concept, warning of potential violations of international refugee law and ‘outsourced detention’ [4]. Spanish MEP Juan Fernando López Aguilar from the Socialists & Democrats opposes the policy, particularly for hubs outside the EU, citing potential fundamental rights violations and concerns about migrants being placed outside EU law jurisdiction [6]. López Aguilar stated that ‘return centres are not the solution, especially when they are outside the borders of the European Union because they lack guarantees for respecting fundamental rights’ [1].