EU Ministers To Discuss Offshore Migrant Centers As Deportation Debate Intensifies

Alain Berset, president of the Council of Europe, told Britain's Guardian newspaper on Tuesday that the issue of“return hubs” had become a major topic in European migration discussions. He said migrants expelled from Europe must remain protected under the European Convention on Human Rights.

“This discussion on transfer centers is an important issue,” Berset said, adding that several European countries had already explored similar policies individually before the issue moved to multilateral discussions.

The meeting is expected to produce a political declaration reaffirming states' rights to control their borders, following growing debate in Europe over whether human rights laws have limited governments' ability to deport foreign criminals and undocumented migrants.

The talks mark the first formal discussion among European ministers on establishing offshore migrant centers outside the European Union. British Home Secretary Yvette Cooper is also expected to attend the meeting.

The European Union has already approved the broader concept of deportation centers in third countries. Denmark, Austria, Greece, Germany and the Netherlands have been exploring agreements with non-EU states that could host such facilities.

According to reports, negotiations have involved Rwanda, Ghana, Senegal, Tunisia, Libya, Mauritania, Egypt, Uganda, Uzbekistan, Armenia, Montenegro and Ethiopia. Uzbekistan has already signed an agreement with Austria to accept deported Afghan migrants.

Germany has faced increasing political pressure over migration after a rise in asylum applications and concerns about deportation enforcement. Afghan refugees remain among the largest groups seeking protection in several European countries since the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan in 2021.

The discussions also come as European officials continue separate talks in Brussels on migration cooperation with Afghan authorities, including the possible return of Afghan migrants whose asylum claims have been rejected.

Between 2017 and 2023, European Union countries issued between 450,000 and 500,000 deportation orders annually, but fewer than half were ultimately enforced, according to EU data.

Migration has become one of the most divisive political issues across Europe in recent years, with several governments pushing for stricter border controls and faster deportation procedures amid rising support for anti-immigration parties.

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