Five EU countries — Germany, Austria, Denmark, Greece and the Netherlands — have set 2027 as the target date for transferring the first irregular migrants to 'return hubs' built outside the European Union. The ministers announced the timeline at a meeting in Copenhagen on Friday, 4 September 2026.

The so-called 'group of five' agreed on a 'concrete model' for the facilities and said they expect to seal an agreement with a partner country next year.

'We expect to be ready to transfer the first irregular migrants to a partner country outside the EU within 2027,' Danish Migration Minister Morten Bødskov said.

What are return hubs and who would be sent there?

Return hubs are facilities outside the EU where rejected asylum seekers and other migrants awaiting deportation could be transferred while their removal is processed. The EU's new return framework, approved in early 2026, allows member states to establish such centres beyond the bloc, provided they first reach an agreement with the host country.

The ministers did not disclose which countries they are negotiating with. Rwanda is among the candidates under consideration, and officials from the five countries reportedly visited the African country last week. Uganda is also involved in the talks.

What did the ministers agree in Copenhagen?

The group settled a timeline and an operating model rather than a final host-country deal. 'Today, we agreed on a concrete and clear road map for legal requirements and national timelines,' Greek Migration Minister Thanos Plevris said.

'We are showing in practice that Europe can design and plan innovative and bold solutions in order to fight against the irregular migration,' he added.

The countries stressed the facilities would not be 'camps' but 'open facilities'. Dutch Migration Minister Bart van den Brink described them as offering 'a new chance' for irregular migrants who cannot be returned to their countries of origin.

The five ministers will meet again in September 2026 in Munich to advance the plan.

What are the criticisms?

The announcement follows months of debate over how the hubs would operate and whether they would comply with international human rights obligations. Human rights groups and some left-wing politicians have heavily criticised the plan.

Bødskov acknowledged the skepticism surrounding the project, saying it 'was laughed at' and dismissed as 'completely unrealistic' and potentially incompatible with international obligations.

The group of five is not the only bloc moving on offshore processing. A group of Nordic countries is coordinating its own separate effort, and another set of governments is examining a pilot reception-centre scheme.

What changes and when?

The practical steps now hinge on two deadlines: an agreement with a host country, expected in 2027, and the first transfers of irregular migrants, targeted 'within 2027'. For rejected asylum seekers in the five participating states, the change could eventually mean removal proceedings conducted from a third country rather than from EU territory.

The exact legal mechanics remain with the road map the ministers adopted in Copenhagen. Readers with individual cases should consult the official announcements of their national migration authorities and the EU return framework as approved in early 2026.