Greece's Immigration Minister, Thanasis Ploiris, announced that his country, leading a group of five European Union countries, is working to send asylum seekers who do not have the right to remain in the Union. This plan includes sending these asylum seekers to countries such as Rwanda starting next year, with the group's goal being to establish a pilot project by the first half of 2027.
Details of the Asylum Seeker Transfer Plan
Ploiris stated in an interview that the core group consisting of Denmark, Austria, Greece, Germany, and the Netherlands intends to fully operationalize this project by the second half of 2027. This timeline coincides with Greece's rotating presidency of the European Union Council in July. This plan is being presented as Europe has faced a migration crisis for a decade, which has intensified support for nationalist and populist parties across the continent.
Read more: Canada and the European Union will unveil a new partnership
No Creation of Return Centers
The Greek Immigration Minister emphasized that this plan does not include the establishment of return centers but rather determines the countries of return. He explained: "We are not talking about centers, meaning that someone whose asylum application has been rejected will not be sent to a closed center in a third country. If your asylum application has been rejected, you either have to return to your country of origin or go to a third country outside the European Union." According to two EU diplomats who wished to remain anonymous, the first potential agreement will likely be with Rwanda, and Uganda and Uzbekistan are also being considered as possible return countries.
Implementation Challenges and Human Rights
Ploiris stated that the targeted countries already have large migrant populations and camps to accommodate them, and the core group countries "are open to any framework that destination countries want — whether they want to talk about camps or broader integration programs." Rwanda has been proposed as a center for various migration plans. In 2022, the UK announced a controversial agreement with Kigali to deport asylum seekers to this country to process their applications, which was abandoned after years of legal challenges.
Emphasis on Human Rights and Funding
The proposed timeline by Ploiris may be ambitious, as several key elements of the agreement are still under consideration. The Greek Immigration Minister stated that the core group members are in discussions with international organizations to establish oversight processes to ensure that human rights are respected in the third countries to which migrants are exiled. Funding for this plan is also a sensitive issue that needs to be provided by the core group. He said: "We want to have a realistic financial project" and added that the group members want the Commission to ultimately play an active role in this process.
Response to Migration Pressures and Hardline Views
Ploiris also acknowledged that this plan will not lead to the transfer of large numbers of migrants to third countries, stating: "In fact, this is another way to create pressure that could increase voluntary returns." He described this initiative as an unprecedented effort and said that this is the first time since the adoption of EU regulations that such a plan is being implemented. In a meeting scheduled for Thursday with EU interior ministers, Ploiris will also present Greece's plan to address emergency migration pressures, which includes suspending asylum applications for individuals who have recently entered the country.
Meanwhile, Greece has repeatedly been accused of violating EU regulations due to allegations of illegally returning migrants. Ploiris stated: "Greece protects its borders in accordance with international law and makes it clear that it will not apologize to anyone for protecting its borders." He also expressed his support and admiration for former U.S. President Donald Trump's approach to immigration, saying: "He was a force that helped change immigration policy and helped many groups — including us — who believed in a stricter immigration policy to make this policy a reality." Ploiris also confirmed that European prosecutors are investigating how Greece has used EU funds to build migration camps.
Read more: Marine Le Pen has halted the withdrawal from NATO command until the end of the Ukraine war · A man has been charged in the UK for his alleged role in the Rwandan genocide
