Greece is planning a deportation center in Africa for rejected asylum seekers

The plans for a deportation center in Africa for migrants rejected in the EU are apparently becoming more concrete. Greek Migration Minister Thanos Plevris said they had already agreed on a country but could not name it yet.

Greece takes over the presidency of the Council of the EU

Greece will take over the presidency of the EU Council for six months starting in July 2027. Plevris said that it was believed that the framework would then open up for the deportation center to start operating. It remained unclear whether the selected country had already agreed to the plans and to what extent the selection was coordinated with other EU countries.

Plevris said he would soon discuss the plan with representatives from Germany, Austria, the Netherlands and Denmark. These countries have been increasingly committed to such so-called return hubs outside the EU for a long time.

Talks with Rwanda

There were discussions about this in the summer, particularly with Rwanda. But other countries in Africa or Asia could also be considered, it was recently said. Italy had already planned to set up deportation centers in Albania.

The centers are intended to accommodate asylum seekers whose applications have been legally rejected in the EU and who cannot be deported directly to their country of origin.

Human rights organizations criticize these centers and warn against the criminalization of migration.