Key facts
- Denmark aims to send migrants to a non-EU return hub by the end of 2027.
- Five EU nations are collaborating on establishing these external return centers.
- The plan involves agreements with non-EU partner countries.
- Recent EU policy changes aim to accelerate deportations and facilitate external detention.
- Human rights organizations have warned of significant risks associated with these arrangements.
Denmark anticipates being ready by the end of 2027 to transfer migrants without legal residency to a return hub located outside the European Union. This move is part of a larger effort by five EU countries—Denmark, Germany, Austria, the Netherlands, and Greece—to finalize plans for such facilities and establish partnership deals with non-EU nations.
Immigration and Integration Minister Morten Bodskov stated that Denmark is closer than ever to establishing an external return hub and expects to send the first individuals to a partner country by the end of next year. The specific non-EU countries involved in these potential partnerships have not yet been disclosed.
These plans follow the European Parliament's June approval of a revised migration policy designed to expedite deportations and permit member states to set up detention centers abroad. However, the Council of Europe has voiced significant concerns, highlighting considerable human rights risks, including potential ill-treatment and arbitrary detention, associated with transferring foreign nationals to third countries.