Asylum seekers whose claims have been rejected will be transferred to the “return hubs,” Migration Minister Thanos Plevris has said
Greece is working with four European allies to establish migrant deportation centers outside the European Union (EU), with Africa the preferred destination, the country’s migration minister has said.
Greek Migration Minister Thanos Plevris has said that Athens is coordinating with Germany, the Netherlands, Austria, and Denmark to create “return hubs” for asylum seekers whose claims have been rejected.
“We are no longer speaking theoretically, we are now speaking practically…We want to discuss with such safe third countries, preferably in Africa, although this is not absolutely binding,” Plevris told Greek state broadcaster ERT television.
According to the minister, the centers will house migrants who cannot be sent back to their countries of origin because those governments refuse to accept them, and are intended to deter irregular migration.
He said “the larger” EU countries are leading the discussions, while Greece is participating in the process. No African host country has been publicly identified.
EU member states have increasingly explored measures to curb irregular migration, including proposed deals involving Rwanda, which have sparked political and legal scrutiny.
Greece remains one of the bloc’s main entry points, with 48,771 arrivals in 2025, including 41,696 by sea, according to UN refugee agency (UNHCR) data. The country recorded one of the highest rates of first-time asylum applicants per capita in the bloc in 2025, ahead of Spain and Italy, Eurostat data show.
As of February 15, 2,652 migrants had arrived in Greece in 2026, including 1,702 by sea across the Eastern Mediterranean route from Türkiye to the Greek islands and 950 by land via the Evros border, UNHCR figures indicate. Recent arrivals have included citizens of Syria, Afghanistan, Egypt, Somalia and Sudan.
In December 2025, 19 EU member states, including Greece, urged the European Commission to help fund “return hubs” outside the bloc, describing them as “innovative solutions” to address the influx.
Similar arrangements have also been pursued by the US, with the Trump administration deporting migrants to African countries including Cameroon, Eswatini, South Sudan and Ghana.
