5 European Nations Follow U.S. with Plans for Third-Country Deportations as EU Approves Migrant "Return Hubs"

TL;DR

Five EU countries (Greece, Germany, Austria, Denmark, Netherlands) are pursuing a plan to deport rejected asylum seekers to third countries outside the EU.
The plan involves establishing "return hubs" in safe third countries, possibly in Africa, to transfer asylum seekers who have exhausted legal avenues in Europe.
Denmark aims to have transfers operational by 2027, while Greece expects a pilot project in the first half of next year.
The EU's new rules provide a legal framework for returns and allow bilateral or unilateral agreements with non-EU countries that respect human rights and international law.
This initiative is partly inspired by the U.S. practice of deporting undocumented migrants to African nations and the U.K.'s attempted but failed Rwanda scheme.
Experts caution that externalizing migration policy may not be a simple solution, citing potential litigation, the need for cooperation from third countries, and substantial costs, as seen with the U.K.'s Rwanda program.
The push for return hubs is part of broader efforts by European nations to tighten immigration policies and increase the removal of individuals without a legal right to remain.

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