19 EU Countries Urge Funding for ‘Return Hubs’ Outside Bloc After Immigration Clampdown

After the European Union significantly tightened its immigration policy earlier this month, 19 EU member states on Wednesday called on the European Commission to finance “return hubs” outside the bloc for asylum-seekers whose applications have been rejected.

Interior ministers from the 27-member EU approved a package of measures on December 8 that includes the creation of return hubs and tougher penalties for migrants who refuse to leave EU territory. However, the measures will still need the backing of the European Parliament before they can take effect.

The countries backing the proposal are Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Greece, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania and Sweden. In a joint letter to the Commission, they urged it to ensure that EU funds can be used to finance return centers.

“Specifically, the EU countries want the Commission to help ensure that the financing of, among other things, return centers can be done using EU funds,” Denmark’s immigration ministry said in a statement.

Denmark, which has made curbing illegal immigration a key priority during its six-month term holding the rotating EU presidency, has been a driving force behind the initiative. The presidency ends later this month.

“The work is not done, and I’m pleased that 19 countries now support a call for the EU system to provide diplomatic and economic assistance to make new and innovative solutions — such as return centers — a reality,” Danish Immigration Minister Rasmus Stoklund said.

For years, Denmark has pushed proposals such as processing asylum applications outside Europe and strengthening cooperation with non-EU countries. According to the Danish immigration ministry, support for these “new and innovative solutions” has steadily grown within the bloc.

Migrant rights activists, however, have strongly criticised the proposals, warning that return hubs could violate migrants’ human rights and expose them to serious risks by relocating them outside the EU.