Denmark, Austria, Germany, the Netherlands, and Greece have agreed on a common model for deportation centres to be negotiated with non-EU governments. These facilities aim to send rejected asylum seekers and migrants without legal residency outside of the European Union.
The five EU countries are pushing to launch an offshore migrant return hub deal by January 1, with the first agreement expected around the New Year. Denmark's migrations minister is meeting with his German, Dutch, Austrian, and Greek counterparts to discuss the creation of these centres, although the participating nations have not outlined where the facilities would be located.
Netherlands' minister of asylum and migration Bart van den Brink described the initiative as groundbreaking and something new. Denmark has stated that it expects to be ready to start sending migrants to these non-EU return hubs by the end of 2027.