Greece approves return centers while Spain sees over 1,300 migrant deaths this year

The Greek parliament passed legislation to accelerate the removal of rejected asylum seekers and to establish "return centers" outside the EU once bilateral agreements with third‑country partners are secured. Greece has been coordinating with the Netherlands, Denmark, Germany and Austria on joint centers and is in talks with two African states, aiming for the facilities to be operational by 2027. The new EU rules allowing transfers to third‑country centres have drawn criticism from human‑rights groups over the risk of abuse.

In the same period, the NGO Caminando Fronteras reported that more than 1,300 migrants died while trying to reach Spain from Africa in the first five months of 2026, including 142 women and 129 children, and that 27 vessels carrying passengers vanished. The death toll follows 3,090 casualties and disappearances recorded in 2025. Migrants are increasingly taking longer Atlantic routes to avoid heightened controls in Mauritania, with the shortest crossing from the Canary Islands to West Africa around 100 km and a separate Morocco‑Spain route about 20 km wide. The report was released ahead of Pope Leo’s visit to the Canary Islands, where he highlighted the migrants’ plight.