EU Likely to Pressure Central Asian Nations for Migrant Centers - Expert

MOSCOW, June 27. /TASS/. Brussels is likely to exert pressure on Central Asian nations to persuade them to establish migrant centers for individuals denied asylum within the European Union, according to Alexander Knyazev, a senior research fellow at the Institute of International Studies at MGIMO University under the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who was speaking to TASS. Knyazev noted that the countries in the region are largely disinterested in hosting such centers. "I believe they will present various counter-arguments to refuse. I doubt any of them will agree - Uzbekistan is highly unlikely to accept, and the same goes for Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan," he stated. On June 1, the European publication Politico reported, citing diplomatic sources, that the EU aims to establish migrant centers outside its borders for those whose asylum claims have been denied. Countries like Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan were among those considered as potential sites. However, Astana and Tashkent denied any negotiations with Brussels regarding this initiative. Later, on June 24, Politico reported that several EU member states are contemplating setting up such facilities in Rwanda and Uzbekistan.