Greece pushes for EU-backed migrant return hub in Africa by 2027

During a televised interview, Greek migration minister Thanos Plevris revealed a plan to establish a migrant return hub outside the EU, slated for operation in the second half of 2027 while Greece holds the EU presidency. Although the African host nation remains unnamed, speculation has mentioned Uganda and Rwanda. The project is a joint effort with Denmark, Austria, Germany and the Netherlands, and will be presented to the International Organization for Migration.

It builds on a June letter signed by 19 European leaders, including Italy’s Giorgia Meloni and Denmark’s Mette Frederiksen, urging faster implementation of new repatriation rules and the creation of third-country hubs. Recent mass crossings at Ceuta, where tens of thousands entered from Morocco, have prompted Greece to propose “exceptional measures” for crisis situations, including immediate deportations without standard asylum procedures. The plan reflects a growing convergence of European governments around the migration-return model championed by the Meloni administration.