At least 19 EU member states, including Greece, have signed a joint letter pushing for the rapid creation of "return hub...

At least 19 EU member states, including Greece, have signed a joint letter pushing for the rapid creation of "return hubs" in third countries outside Europe to process and return irregular migrants. The letter, obtained by Kathimerini, was initiated by Denmark and Italy and calls for concrete action "as quickly as possible." Signatories include Germany, Austria, the Netherlands, and Greece, with Italy recently joining the push after courts struck down its migration deal with Albania. The move follows the European Parliament's approval this week of the Return Regulation, which gives the initiative its first legal footing. Without that framework, the idea had no binding mechanism to move forward. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen made the stakes clear, saying Europe needs to "take back control of its borders" and warning that excessive migration is damaging social cohesion and costing lives along migration routes. The letter describes the plan as a shared "vision" that leaders intend to personally drive forward. The proposed hubs would operate outside EU territory, removing the processing burden from border states like Greece. Potential host countries under discussion reportedly include Rwanda, Ghana, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Uganda, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan, though no agreements have been formalized yet. Some governments believe the first hubs could be operational by 2026. The proposal builds on lessons from the Italy-Albania arrangement, which stalled in courts but still helped crystallize EU-wide support for the offshore processing model. Greece has been among the most consistent advocates of the plan, alongside Denmark, Germany, Austria, and the Netherlands. #Immigration #EU #Greece