European nations are racing to establish migrant deportation facilities across Africa within months, adopting an approach Britain controversially abandoned two years ago when Labour scrapped the Rwanda asylum scheme.
Germany is spearheading efforts alongside the Netherlands, Denmark, Austria and Greece to create “return hubs” in African countries willing to host asylum seekers who cannot be repatriated to their home nations, following landmark legislation passed by the European Parliament last week.
Uganda, Mauritania and Benin have emerged as potential host states for the facilities, according to reports, with officials targeting agreements before the year’s conclusion.
The initiative follows approval of the Return Regulation by a 389 to 206 vote, which saw a centre-right bloc collaborate with hard-right MEPs to pass European Commission proposals making deportation procedures “faster and more effective” across the bloc.
German interior minister Alexander Dobrindt stated: “We aim to have reached agreements with third countries by the end of this year to take the next step — the establishment of these return hubs.”
The regulation, which requires final government and parliamentary approval, establishes frameworks for migration agreements with non-EU countries whilst permitting detention of migrants for up to two years with electronic tagging. Crucially, deportation orders will apply EU-wide, eliminating the loophole allowing migrants to relocate within the bloc to evade removal.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni characterised the vote as “a decisive moment” in combating illegal immigration, whilst French conservative leader François-Xavier Bellamy declared: “If you come to Europe illegally, rest assured that you will not stay here.”
Critics have drawn parallels to Britain’s defunct Rwanda policy, which Sir Keir Starmer terminated shortly after assuming office in 2024 as one of his initial acts. NGOs have branded the EU scheme “Trump-inspired,” with Amnesty International warning of “grave risks of systematic human rights violations.”
PICUM, which advocates for undocumented immigrants, cautioned the rules would lead to “deportation centres in countries they never set foot in” and “increased surveillance and discrimination.” The International Red Cross expressed concerns that facilities “outside of EU territory” would prevent policymakers from guaranteeing rights protections.
Britain’s Channel migration crisis continues unabated, with small boat arrivals under Labour surpassing 69,000 since the party assumed power. Border Security Commander Martin Hewitt resigned last week after 18 months attempting to curb crossings, which reached 41,472 last year—the second-highest annual total.
Labour’s “one in, one out” arrangement with France has proved ineffective, with only 377 migrants returned versus 380 accepted under reciprocal terms. The scheme expires in June.
The Government has rejected rejoining schemes resembling Rwanda or withdrawing from the European Convention on Human Rights, which migrants and foreign criminals frequently invoke to resist deportation.
