France and Spain, which together hold roughly a quarter of the European Union's population, have publicly rejected the 'return hubs' migration concept, according to a report by InfoMigrants.

The opposition from Paris and Madrid signals that two of the bloc's largest member states will not back a mechanism Italy has championed since at least 2023, weakening the political case for any binding EU-wide scheme.

What are return hubs?

Under the proposal, governments would designate facilities outside the European Union where authorities would hold migrants whose asylum claims have failed, while arranging deportation, or where they would process asylum applications away from EU soil.

The model draws on offshore processing arrangements previously negotiated by the United Kingdom with Rwanda and by Italy with Albania, although courts in those jurisdictions have limited or paused some transfers.

Supporters describe the centres as a deterrent against dangerous Mediterranean crossings and a way to speed up returns. Critics say the hubs would externalise asylum obligations, weaken safeguards under EU and international law, and place vulnerable people beyond effective judicial oversight.

Who has backed the idea?

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has led advocacy for the concept, repeatedly citing the UK–Rwanda partnership as a template. The European Commission has examined a legal framework for return hubs within its wider Pact on Migration and Asylum, though the proposal remains non-binding and lacks a dedicated EU budget line.

Several central European governments have expressed conditional support, while frontline states such as Greece and Cyprus have given mixed reactions, prioritising faster returns over external processing.

Why does the Franco-Spanish opposition matter?

France and Spain together account for about 115 million of the EU's roughly 448 million residents. Their joint rejection narrows the political space for any compulsory EU legislation on return hubs and complicates the qualified-majority thresholds that govern the bloc's migration treaties.

Spain oversees two of the union's busiest external borders — the Canary Islands route from West Africa and the Ceuta and Melilla enclaves facing Morocco — giving Sánchez direct operational experience with mixed migration flows.

Macron's opposition reflects a long-standing French preference for managed admission within EU territory rather than third-country processing, a position Paris held during its 2022 Council Presidency and has reiterated at subsequent European Council summits.

What happens next?

EU interior ministers continue negotiations on the wider Pact on Migration and Asylum, with full implementation scheduled to run through 2026. Without French and Spanish backing, return hubs are likely to remain a voluntary, country-by-country tool rather than a binding, bloc-wide scheme.

Where to verify the change

Official positions appear on the Élysée Palace site, the Spanish Presidency of the Government site, and the European Commission's Migration and Home Affairs directorate pages. InfoMigrants, a joint outlet of the French and German public broadcasters, published the original report.