Uganda, Uzbekistan and Albania: Where EU could send unwanted migrants

European leaders back 'new idea' for handling asylum seekers including 'return hubs' outside the bloc

An Italian warship ferried a first group of migrants to Albania this week under a scheme watched closely in Europe. Reuters

The EU is searching for countries to house unwanted migrants after the bloc's top leaders gave their blessing to "new ideas" on handling asylum seekers.

Embracing what were once fringe proposals, the EU will explore the idea of "return hubs" similar to an abandoned British plan to deport failed asylum seekers to Rwanda. It will also consider relocating people granted asylum to safe third countries.

Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk won tacit EU backing for his plan to suspend the right to asylum due to a stream of border crossings from Belarus. Countries such as Poland "have to be able to take measures that are temporary and appropriate", said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

The agreements at a late-night EU summit indicate the rising clout of anti-immigration forces in Brussels after notable hard-right election victories in Austria, Germany and the Netherlands. However, there are questions over how new policies would work in practice, given laws against exposing people to war or abuse.

Opening so-called return hubs for people deported from the EU is "not trivial" due to questions such as how long they could be held, Ms von der Leyen said. No country has yet been selected as a destination, although the Dutch government has suggested Uganda. Italy favours a push to send refugees back to Syria.

The German government has spoken to officials in Uzbekistan, which borders Afghanistan, about helping to take in deported refugees in exchange for favourable rules for migrant workers. Chancellor Olaf Scholz has evaded opposition demands to add Tunisia, Morocco and Algeria to a list of safe countries.

Italy's new scheme to handle asylum claims at a compound in Albania is also being watched with interest in Europe. It hit an early snag this week when four of the first 16 Mediterranean migrants sent there had to return to Italy because of doubts about their age and health.

"New ways to prevent and counter irregular migration should be considered, in line with EU and international law," the bloc's 27 leaders said in joint conclusions from their summit. They called for "determined action at all levels to facilitate, increase and speed up returns", EU jargon for deportations.

Uganda: Dutch deportation idea

Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof suggested Uganda to his fellow EU leaders as a destination for African migrants denied asylum in Europe. “These are innovative solutions that should in principle interest our colleagues here,” he said.

“The idea is rooted in the thought that asylum seekers who failed to obtain residence can be sent back to a hub and from thereon can return to their country of origin,” Mr Schoof said. The EU says only one in five migrants denied a residence permit are actually deported to their home countries at present.

There were mixed signals from Uganda. Foreign Minister Jeje Odongo said the country was "open to any discussions". But a junior minister, Okello Oryem, played down the idea, saying it already shelters 1.6 million refugees from Sudan, South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Uganda has one of Africa's larger economies and last year climbed from "low" to "medium" in a UN development index, but scores poorly in rankings of human rights and the rule of law. The World Bank has withheld funding over rights concerns.

Britain's previous Conservative government struck a deal to send failed asylum seekers to Rwanda in exchange for about £500 million ($652 million) in development funds. The current Prime Minister Keir Starmer scrapped the policy after winning the UK election in July, dismissing it as costly and unworkable.

EU figures had generally drawn a distinction between Britain's plans for permanent deportations and the idea of countries handling ongoing asylum claims offshore. But Ms von der Leyen now says the EU should "explore possible ways forward as regards the idea of developing return hubs" outside the bloc.

Uzbekistan: Afghan links

After Syrians, Afghans were the second-biggest group of asylum seekers in the EU last year, with 114,000 people seeking protection. Their case was bolstered by a recent European Court of Justice ruling that an Afghan woman's "nationality and gender alone" were sufficient grounds to grant asylum.

However, Afghans who are rejected or facing expulsion – for example, under new German proposals to strip people of asylum if they go on holiday in their home country – cannot easily be deported there when the EU does not recognise the Taliban government and maintains only a back-door relationship.

Germany arranged a first deportation of 28 Afghans convicted of "serious crimes" in August, mediated by unnamed "key regional partners". Since then, Mr Scholz has visited Uzbekistan and signed an agreement on returning illegal migrants in exchange for opening up legal paths.

Although the agreement has concerned Uzbek citizens, it is recognised in Berlin that working with Uzbekistan could also be a way to deal with Afghans. "Looking at geography, Uzbekistan is a neighbouring country of Afghanistan that would in theory be a possibility", one German official said.

Uzbekistan currently hosts only a few thousand Afghan refugees, who far more commonly live in Iran or Pakistan. The former Soviet republics in Central Asia have developed into a security concern in Europe because of ISIS-K supporters plotting attacks in Europe.

Some European countries are also looking at ways to deport migrants to Syria despite a long freeze in relations with President Bashar Al Assad. Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has called for a review of the EU's strategy on Syria.

Albania: Offshore processing

Despite Poland's suspension plan, the EU generally insists the right to asylum will remain intact. German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said on Friday it was "not negotiable for us", even as she sought backing from Parliament for a set of stricter asylum policies.

As a result, large numbers of refugees are still likely to need processing in Europe and countries have looked for ways to ease the strain. An EU plan to dismiss some claims summarily at the border in exchange for migrants being shared out around Europe will not take effect until 2026 at the earliest.

Italy's new arrangement means up to 3,000 male migrants a month will be shipped to Albania after being picked up crossing the Mediterranean Sea. They will have their cases heard by Italian judges via video link.

In return, Italy is paying Albania about $700 million over five years. It has positioned itself as a champion of Albania's EU membership bid, which it hopes to complete by 2030. Italian ministers say Germany and non-EU member Britain have shown interest in working with Albania. Mr Starmer said Italian deals with Tunisia and Libya also “appear to have had quite a profound effect” in cutting migration numbers.