Katharina Dröge, the co-chair of the Green Party’s parliamentary group, has sharply criticized the agreement reached by the EU Parliament and member states to establish deportation centers outside the EU for rejected asylum seekers. According to Dröge, this asylum reform has nothing to do with establishing an effective, human rights-compliant, and rule-of-law immigration policy.
Addressing the Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland (Wednesday edition), Dröge stated that “anyone who wants to detain families with children up to three months old makes a humanly cold policy” adding that the Green Party unequivocally rejects this reform. She argued that the new arrangements systematically impede access to justice and foster chaos at the expense of human rights, rather than creating order.
Dröge specifically singled out German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt, claiming he promoted this “fatal decision” in Brussels. She asserted that Dobrindt is already fostering a culture of chaos and unnecessary severity even within Germany, and it is deeply concerning that this attitude is now extending across Europe.
The Green politician also expressed alarm that this agreement was reached with the involvement of far-right elements, suggesting that conservative parties conceded to this pressure and dismantled the asylum system. Dröge urged that “Europe needs an immigration policy that functions while simultaneously respecting human rights”. She warned that the recently approved regulation deviates from this standard, favoring a policy of hardness rooted in symbolism, which carries uncertain practical consequences and serious human rights risks.
These so-called ‘Return Hubs’ are intended for rejected asylum seekers outside the EU who cannot be sent back to their countries of origin-for instance, if the home country refuses to accept them, or if the German government does not maintain diplomatic relations with that state. Details regarding where such centers might be established outside the EU remain unclear, with Uganda being mentioned as one potential location.
