The proposed hub would accommodate up to 10,000 migrants whose asylum claims were rejected within the bloc. Officials behind the initiative hope the presence of such a facility will incentivize voluntary returns to countries of origin rather than prolonged stays in East Africa. The framework mirrors a memorandum of understanding previously signed between Kampala and the Dutch government.
Five EU nations negotiate Uganda migrant return hub
Five European Union member states are bypassing the Brussels bureaucracy to finalize an agreement with Uganda, aiming to establish a facility for failed asylum seekers. While the EU Commission remains sidelined, Germany, Austria, the Netherlands, Denmark, and Greece are pushing to finalize the controversial project by September.
Opposition remains within the EU, with France and Spain leading the pushback against the model. Despite the lack of consensus, the migration ministers of the five involved nations are scheduled to meet in Copenhagen on 4 September to evaluate the progress of their bilateral negotiations with Kampala. Commission spokesman Guillaume Mercier confirmed on 13 August that the EU executive is not participating in these discussions, despite the bloc's existing regulations permitting the creation of external return hubs.
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