Greece and Other EU States Step Up Return Migrant Hub Plans

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Greece and four other European countries are moving into the next stage of planning for so-called Return Hubs in third countries, with key meetings scheduled in Munich and Brussels in the coming weeks.

The Return Hubs would operate outside the European Union and accommodate people who have no legal right to remain in the EU and face a return decision. Their operation would require agreements with third countries.

According to information from the Athens-Macedonian News Agency (AMNA), the five countries forming the initiative’s “Core Group” — Greece, Denmark, Germany, Austria and the Netherlands — plan to meet on the sidelines of the 2nd Munich Migration Meeting on September 26.

The meeting in Munich will bring together 17 European ministers. The five-country Core Group is expected to coordinate its next steps towards establishing the Return Hubs.

The next key meeting will take place on October 1 on the sidelines of the EU Justice and Home Affairs Council. Representatives of the five countries are expected to meet with international organisations to advance the planning and implementation process.

The developments follow a meeting of the migration and asylum ministers from Greece, Denmark, Germany, Austria and the Netherlands in Copenhagen earlier this month.

The five countries agreed on a roadmap covering the legal requirements and national timelines needed to implement the model. Technical contacts and consultations with potential third countries have already begun.

The main challenge now involves reaching an agreement with one or more countries outside the EU that could host a Return Hub. So far, however, the participating countries have not officially named a final partner or signed an agreement.

What the five countries agreed in Copenhagen

The ministers confirmed agreement on the basic principles of a framework for future cooperation with third countries.

According to Greek Migration and Asylum Minister Thanos Plevris, the countries also agreed on a specific “Roadmap of Legal Requirements and National Timelines” to turn their political agreement into practical planning.

“To turn this political will into a tangible reality, we agreed today on a specific Roadmap of Legal Requirements and National Timelines,” Plevris said after the meeting.

He also confirmed that technical meetings and consultations with potential third countries had already begun, expressing confidence that an agreement could follow soon.

“We are particularly optimistic that very soon we will be in a position to reach a mutually beneficial agreement that will put the model into operation,” he said.

Which countries are being considered?

The choice of host countries remains the biggest unresolved issue.

Information from European sources has identified Rwanda and Uganda as countries at the centre of discussions. The European Parliamentary Research Service has also listed Rwanda, Uganda and Uzbekistan among countries that have been mentioned as possible locations for Return Hubs.

The Netherlands signed a letter of intent with Uganda in September 2025 concerning cooperation on returns. The Dutch government that took office in February 2026 subsequently abandoned that planned cooperation, although the Netherlands has continued to express interest in the broader Return Hub model.

Uzbekistan presents a different case. Austria signed an economic cooperation and migration agreement with Uzbekistan in May 2026, but that agreement does not concern a Return Hub.

Reports have nevertheless identified Uzbekistan as a possible option. Uzbekistan’s Foreign Ministry has said that no such negotiations are taking place.

European countries have also previously discussed arrangements involving Rwanda for the transfer of asylum seekers, including discussions involving Denmark. Those approaches attracted criticism over human rights concerns.

Greece’s position on Return Hubs

The Greek government views Return Hubs as a potential tool for increasing the return of people who do not qualify for international protection.

Speaking in Copenhagen, Plevris stressed that Greece links the implementation of the model to full compliance with the law.

“The creation of Return Hubs will be based on absolute legality. This model will operate with full respect for European and international law,” he said.

Plevris also linked the initiative to Greece’s position as an EU external-border country, describing the creation of such mechanisms as an “imperative national necessity” for Athens.

“We cannot allow Greece to become a permanent point of entrapment for those who are not entitled to international protection,” he said.

The minister said the objective was to establish a return system combining legal enforcement, strategic planning and cooperation with international organisations.

What does the new European framework provide?

Return Hubs have moved beyond a purely political discussion, with the new European framework on returns providing for the possibility of establishing such centres in third countries.

The system applies to people who have no legal right to remain in the EU and face a return decision. Return Hubs could serve either as a destination or as an intermediate point before a person returns to their country of origin or another third country.

The central requirement is that cooperation with the third country must comply with European and international law and safeguard fundamental rights, including the principle of non-refoulement, which prohibits returning people to places where they face serious risks of persecution or other serious harm.

Return decisions also remain individual decisions and remain subject to judicial review.

Key details remain unresolved

Several important questions remain open.

The participating countries have not yet finalised the host country or countries, while the operational arrangements, capacity and financing of the Return Hubs also remain undecided.

The meetings in Munich on September 26 and Brussels on October 1 are expected to shape the next stage of the initiative, as Greece and its four European partners seek to move from political agreement towards formal arrangements with potential third countries.

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