Greece has joined four other European Union countries in agreeing a detailed roadmap for setting up Return Hubs for migrants in safe third countries, moving the plan from political declarations into practical implementation. Migration and Asylum Minister Thanos Plevris represented Greece at a meeting of the so-called Core Group of ministers held in Copenhagen, Denmark, alongside counterparts from Austria, Germany and the Netherlands.
According to Greece's Ministry of Migration and Asylum, the five countries moved from broad political statements to concrete planning for the creation of the centres, which are intended to be built in safe third countries, with particular reference to countries on the African continent.
Greece the only southern EU country involved
Greece is the only country from southern Europe taking part in the scheme. During the Copenhagen talks, the ministers confirmed their agreement on the basic principles of a framework that will govern future cooperation with whichever third country is eventually chosen as a partner.
A central part of the plan is the new European Return Regulation, which is expected to come into force in the autumn of 2026 and will serve as the legal basis for putting the model into practice.
Uganda and Rwanda seen as likely partners
Protothema.gr had previously reported that Uganda and Rwanda are the two countries considered most likely to reach an agreement with the EU to host Return Hubs on their territory. Rwanda's main advantage is that it already has infrastructure and prior experience receiving and temporarily hosting migrant and refugee populations, which, should the two sides reach a deal, could allow such a scheme to begin operating in a considerably shorter timeframe.
Ministry calls meeting a milestone
In its statement, the Ministry of Migration and Asylum described the ministerial meeting as a genuine milestone for European migration policy, saying the participating countries had moved from political declarations to a specific and workable plan for the innovative Return Hub model in safe third countries, particularly in Africa.
The ministry said Greece's presence in the group is especially significant, as it is the only southern EU country actively shaping the new strategy. It added that the agreement reached on the basic principles of the framework for cooperation with a future third-country partner would make full use of the new European Return Regulation expected in the autumn of 2026, while ensuring full legality, effectiveness and compliance with international law.
Plevris was accompanied at the talks by the Secretary General for Migration Policy, Nadia Papakosta, and the head of the Greek Asylum Service, Marios Kaleas.
What Plevris told reporters
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Plevris said the Core Group ministers' meeting in Copenhagen marked a milestone for European migration policy, showing in practice that Europe can design and implement bold, innovative and effective solutions.
He said the Greek government's position was absolutely clear and non-negotiable: the creation of Return Hubs would be built on full legality, and the model would operate with complete respect for European and international law. He said that to turn this political will into tangible reality, the ministers had agreed that day on a specific roadmap of legal requirements and national timetables.
Plevris said technical meetings and consultations with candidate third countries had already begun, and that he was optimistic a mutually beneficial agreement putting the model into practice could be reached soon.
Greece cites pressure at EU's external border
Plevris argued that for Greece, a country at the EU's external border that bears a disproportionate share of managing migration flows, the Return Hubs were not a theoretical option but an urgent national necessity. He said Greece was proving it remained at the forefront of European solidarity while also taking steps to deter irregular arrivals, adding that Greece could not be allowed to become a permanent point of entrapment for people not entitled to international protection.
He said combining legal rigour, strategic planning and close cooperation with international organisations would build a returns system that is fair but, above all, effective in protecting Greece's borders and restoring order.
