The German federal government and four other European Union nations are currently negotiating with Rwanda regarding the establishment of centers designed to deport rejected asylum seekers. A delegation of European government representatives is set to travel to Rwanda next week to discuss these so-called “Return Hubs.”
This group of states, which calls itself the “implementers,” includes Germany, alongside Austria, Denmark, Greece, and the Netherlands. They aim to secure a partner by the end of this year, and Italy has also expressed interest in a similar arrangement with Rwanda in recent weeks.
The upcoming discussions are intended to be technical, focusing currently exclusively on these Return Hubs. These centers would serve as locations where individuals whose asylum applications have been rejected in Europe could be channeled. While some countries, including Austria, have indicated a readiness to consider full-scale asylum centers, the core concept involves the partner nations potentially having a say in deciding the asylum status of people fleeing to Europe, and subsequently granting them protection if deemed necessary.
Earlier, a spokesperson for the Rwandan government confirmed that “initial talks” had taken place with various European governments about a migration agreement of an unspecified nature, though they stressed that nothing had been finalized.
Both the German and Austrian Interior Ministries confirmed to reporters that they are engaged in talks about Return Hubs. However, the Federal Ministry of the Interior noted that due to the confidentiality required for what it considers a trustworthy collaboration, potential partner states could not be named in advance. Similarly, a spokesperson for the Austrian Interior Ministry indicated they had agreed to remain silent on the matter.
