Greece to establish African Return Hubs by 2027

Greek Migration and Asylum Minister Thanos Plevris announced plans to establish ‘Return Hubs’ in Africa by 2027. Greece is currently collaborating with the Netherlands, Denmark, Austria, and Germany to facilitate this initiative. The minister expects to sign the first agreement with an African nation after the Christmas period to facilitate the repatriation of migrants whose asylum requests have been rejected.

Plevris also discussed a Greek proposal for an emergency European mechanism to manage mass migration pressures, which could include the temporary suspension of asylum processes under specific conditions. He noted that this proposal has received preliminary acceptance from European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

Regarding current migration trends, Plevris reported that arrivals via the maritime border with Turkey are at historically low levels, with approximately 6,000 arrivals in a nine-month period. However, he highlighted significant concern regarding the Libya-Crete route, which saw approximately 16,000 arrivals during the same timeframe, describing the situation in Libya as a major challenge.