Latest news with #returnHubs
Sky News
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Sky News
UK to open talks with Kosovo about hosting 'return hub' for failed asylum seekers
Kosovo will be one of the countries asked to take failed asylum seekers from the UK as part of the government's plan for "return hubs" abroad, according to reports. The Western Balkan country is on a list of nine countries drawn up by the government of potential places to deport illegal migrants who have exhausted all avenues of appeal for asylum in the UK, according to The Times newspaper. The report comes after the president of Kosovo revealed to Sky News that they would be "open to discussing it", but there had been "no formal talks" so far. The Tories say that return hubs will "not work as a deterrent", and the "vast majority who illegally cross the [English] Channel have their asylum claims accepted, so would never be removed under the return hubs plan". They would be for processing failed asylum seekers prior to their eventual deportation, wherever that might be. 1:30 Downing Street said they would be for people "who have exhausted all legal routes to remain in the UK", but who may be employing tactics to delay their removal - like "losing their paperwork". The hubs would effectively buy time to return or deport illegal migrants without the government having to house them in Britain in the meantime, such as in the asylum hotels, which the government has promised to close. The prime minister described the hubs as a "really important innovation" that complements other measures the government is taking to crack down on criminal smuggling gangs and stop small boat crossings. He refused to reveal which countries the government is in talks with, but he was left slightly red-faced after the Albanian prime minister publicly slapped down the idea of a UK return hub in his country, saying their agreement with Italy was a "one-off" deal for a key ally. 1:30 But speaking exclusively to Sky's Tamara Cohen, the president of Kosovo said her government is open to the idea. Vjosa Osmani said: "There's been no formal talks with the UK on this issue. It hasn't been raised so far. "We would be open to discussing it, however I can't say more than that because I don't know the details. I cannot give an answer on a request that hasn't been made so far." Ms Osmani called the UK a "steadfast ally". UK-supplied technology is being used in Kosovo to stop illicit goods and vulnerable people from reaching British shores. Nearly 22,000 people used the Western Balkans to enter Europe last year, the Foreign Office said earlier this year. There are six countries in the Western Balkans which are seen as central to UK efforts to tackling illegal migration. Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Montenegro are the others, alongside Albania, Kosovo and North Macedonia. The Times reports that countries outside Europe are on a shortlist to be approached for talks about return hubs. The plan is part of the broader government efforts to stop small boat crossings. Over 12,000 people have crossed the Channel illegally on small boats so far this year, with 2025 on course to a record year for crossings, which will cause a major headache for Labour after being elected on a manifesto promise to "smash the gangs". Chris Philp, shadow home secretary, said in response to the report: "The prime minister's attempt to get Albania to act as a return hub was humiliatingly dismissed by the Albanian prime minister. "Return hubs will anyway not work as a deterrent because only illegal immigrants whose asylum claims fail get removed. The vast majority who illegally cross the channel have their asylum claims accepted, so would never be removed under the return hubs plan."
Al Jazeera
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
UK's Starmer seeking third countries to set up asylum seeker ‘return hubs'
The United Kingdom is talking to third countries about setting up 'return hubs' to host asylum seekers refused the right to stay in the country as part of a renewed crackdown on immigration, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said. The UK leader is under increasing pressure to cut the number of migrants arriving on UK shores amid the rising popularity of the far-right Reform UK Party. He said on Thursday that he was talking to 'a number of countries' about hosting the 'return hubs', which would receive failed asylum seekers who have exhausted all avenues of appeal for processing prior to deportation. Speaking during a visit to Albania, Starmer did not specify which countries he was speaking to about the scheme, which has drawn comparisons with a plan developed by the previous Conservative government to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda, which Starmer had dismissed as a gimmick and scrapped immediately after entering office in July. The subject was apparently not on the agenda for Starmer's meetings in Tirana, with Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama specifying in a joint news conference that a similar returns model, which his country had agreed to with Italy last year, was a 'one off' that 'takes its time to be tested'. That scheme, which could see Italian-run facilities in Albania holding up to 36,000 asylum seekers annually while their applications are fast-tracked, is currently bogged down in the courts. Starmer admitted that establishing the facilities would not be a 'silver bullet' for halting the perilous crossings of the English Channel in small boats, which have seen 12,000 people arriving so far this year, putting 2025 on course to potentially see a record high number of arrivals. However, combined with other measures to tackle smuggling gangs, he said the plan would 'allow us to bear down on this vile trade'. Starmer claimed his new Labour government had been left a 'mess' by the previous Conservative leadership, which he said had failed to process asylum claims. The prime minister's official spokesperson said, 'This will basically apply to people who have exhausted all legal routes to remain in the UK but are attempting to stall, using various tactics – whether it's losing their paperwork or using other tactics to frustrate their removal.' The announcement was the latest in a host of tough new immigration policies, including plans to double the length of time before migrants can qualify for settlement in the country, which are widely seen as an attempt to fend off rising support for far-right firebrand Nigel Farage's Reform UK Party.
The National
15-05-2025
- Politics
- The National
UK begins talks to send failed asylum seekers abroad
The UK will begin talks on sending failed asylum seekers to 'return hubs' in third countries while they await deportation, Keir Starmer has said. The Prime Minister was speaking during a visit to Albania aimed at forging closer co-operation on tackling migration. Mr Starmer said the hubs were for people who have "been through the system in the UK, they need to be returned and we have to make sure they're returned effectively'. He acknowledged the plan was not a 'silver bullet' for Britain's migration problems, which have led to the rise of the populist Reform party. 'By putting it all together – arrests, seizures, agreements with other countries, returning people who shouldn't be here, and return hubs, if we can through these talks add to our armoury, it will allow us to bear down on this vile trade and to make sure that we stop those people crossing the Channel,' he said. The return hubs would be aimed at failed asylum seekers who are seeking to frustrate efforts to deport them, or who have lost their paperwork. By removing them to another country, the government hopes to reduce their ability to find other reasons to prevent deportation, such as starting a family. It is also expected to act as a deterrent to further crossings, but differs from the previous government's Rwanda scheme as it would only apply to failed asylum seekers who have exhausted their avenues for appeal. Net migration to the UK stood at more than 750,000 in 2024. Data for last year shows refugees from the Middle East and North Africa being rejected at the highest rate in years as the UK battles to clear a backlog of asylum seekers living in hotels. In the first official visit to Tirana by a British prime minister, Mr Starmer and his Albanian counterpart Edi Rama also discussed how to combat organised crime, which has been driving the small boat crossings to the UK. This week, the number of people to have crossed the Channel in small boats passed 12,000 for the year. Labour was elected on a manifesto promise to 'smash the gangs' smuggling people into the UK in small boats, but 12,699 people have made the journey so far this year, putting 2025 on course to be a record year for crossings. But Downing Street said the number of Albanians making the crossing had fallen by 95 per cent in the past three years, while the number returned to Albania had doubled between 2022 and 2024 following increased co-operation between the two countries. After a spike in numbers in 2022, the UK and Albania struck a deal to work together to prevent people from making the journey, with both the current Labour government and the previous Conservative one providing Tirana with money and expertise. Last year, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni suggested Mr Starmer had also been 'very interested' in a deal under which Italy has sent migrants to Albania for processing. The talks are expected to include measures to support efforts to ensure migrants remain in Albania after being returned home rather than attempting to enter the UK again – the 'revolving door effect'. The UK will also donate two forgery detection machines to help Albanian police spot people trying to travel to the UK on stolen or fake passports. An expansion of the Joint Migration Task Force to include North Macedonia and Montenegro is also planned. The task force, which currently includes the UK, Albania and Kosovo, shares intelligence and carries out operations against people smugglers in the western Balkans. There will also be an increase in co-operation on tackling organised crime, including sharing DNA swabs of Albanian criminals and investing £1 million in upgrading Albania's forensics, biometrics and digital capability.
The Independent
15-05-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
UK to begin talks on return hubs for failed asylum seekers
The UK will begin talks with other countries on 'return hubs' for failed asylum seekers as the Government seeks to crack down on small boats crossing the Channel. On a trip to Albania on Thursday, Sir Keir Starmer announced that the Government would begin exploring the possibility of sending failed asylum seekers for processing in third countries prior to deportation. Speaking in Albania, the Prime Minister told GB News: 'What now we want to do and are having discussions of, talks of, is return hubs, which is where someone has been through the system in the UK, they need to be returned and we have to make sure they're returned effectively and we'll do that, if we can, through return hubs.' The Government would not comment on which countries would be involved in the talks, but the subject is understood to not be on the agenda for the Prime Minister's meetings in Tirana on Thursday. The announcement comes in the same week that the number of people crossing the Channel in small boats passed 12,000 for the year, putting 2025 on course to be a record year for crossings. Sir Keir said establishing return hubs would not be a 'silver bullet' for halting the crossings. But combined with other measures to tackle smuggling gangs and return those with no right to be in the UK, it would 'allow us to bear down on this vile trade and make sure that we stop those people crossing the Channel'. If established, the return hubs will target failed asylum seekers who are seeking to frustrate their deportation or have lost their paperwork. By removing them to another country, the Government hopes to reduce their ability to find other reasons to prevent deportation, such as starting a family. The Prime Minister's official spokesman said: 'This will basically apply to people who have exhausted all legal routes to remain in the UK but are attempting to stall, using various tactics, whether it's losing their paperwork or using other tactics to frustrate their removal.' The spokesman added: 'It will ensure that they don't have the chance to make their removal harder by using tactics such as starting a family, et cetera, as we have seen from cases in the past. 'That obviously will reduce the cost to the taxpayer.' The proposal is also expected to act as a deterrent to further crossings, but differs from the previous government's Rwanda scheme as it would only apply to failed asylum seekers who have exhausted their avenues for appeal. Officials will conduct negotiations with potential host countries over the coming months. Italy currently operates a similar programme with Albania, sending failed asylum seekers to the country while they await deportation. The Italian scheme was intended to provide offshore processing for migrants, but that plan has been held up by legal action. Edi Rama, Albania's prime minister, appeared to rule out being a host to the UK scheme. 'We have been asked by several countries if we were open to it, and we said no, because we are loyal to the marriage with Italy and the rest is just love,' he told reporters at a press conference held alongside Sir Keir. While in Tirana, the Prime Minister is also expected to announce further cooperation with Albania on tackling illegal migration and organised crime alongside his Albanian counterpart. This is set to include plans to help ensure returned migrants stay in Albania rather than try to enter the UK again – the so-called 'revolving door problem'. Migration is also likely to feature during talks at the European Political Community summit in Tirana on Friday, along with discussion of defence and Ukraine. Elsewhere as he spoke alongside Mr Rama in Tirana, the Prime Minister was asked if he would apologise on behalf of the UK for negative stereotypes about Albanians. Sir Keir insisted his visit should be seen 'as a statement of intent as to the regard that I hold Albania'.
Times
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Times
UK in talks over offshore detention centres for failed asylum seekers
Britain has opened formal talks about sending failed asylum seekers to detention centres abroad, Sir Keir Starmer has announced during a trip to Albania. The prime minister said the government wanted to send failed asylum to 'return hubs' overseas once they had exhausted all avenues of appeal. He said that it could form part of Britain's 'armoury' in dealing with illegal migration. No 10 did not specify which countries it had entered talks with but The Times has previously disclosed that ministers were looking at hubs in the western Balkans. Potential partners could include Albania, Serbia, Bosnia and North Macedonia, with any deal requiring Britain to pay for each asylum seeker who has been relocated. The prime minister is due to meet Edi Rama, his
