Latest news with #returnhubs
The Independent
26-05-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
UK ‘to ask Kosovo' to take failed asylum seekers in overseas ‘return hubs plan'
The UK is reportedly set to ask Kosovo to take failed asylum seekers as part of plans to open overseas 'return hubs' for migrants. Kosovo has been put on a list of nine countries that are seen as potential locations for the hubs, The Times has reported. The 'returns hubs' would house asylum seekers after they have exhausted all their rights to appeal for sanctuary in the UK. They would then be deported back to their home country from these hubs. Kosovo's president, Vjosa Osmani, has already said that the country would be open to discuss housing the UK's failed asylum seekers. She said last week: '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'. The prime minister of North Macedonia, Hristijan Mickoski, also said last week that his country had not yet been formally approached by the UK for the scheme. According to The Times, North Macedonia, Kosovo, Serbia and Bosnia-Herzegovina are on the shortlist of countries that the UK is eyeing up. There are also reportedly some countries outside of Europe on the list. The paper reported that the UK wants to have begun talks on the scheme before a meeting of western Balkan leaders in London in autumn. Almost 22,000 people were recorded using the Western Balkans to travel irregularly into Europe last year, according to the Foreign Office. Foreign secretary David Lammy travelled to Kosovo and Serbia in early April. He said parts of the western Balkans 'have become a major transit route for irregular migration and serious organised crime'. Sir Keir Starmer raised the idea of 'returns hubs' during the European Political Community Summit in Tirana, Albania. He told reporters that such hubs were not 'a silver bullet in and of themselves', but would be 'a very important additional tool in our armoury'. He said he had had 'discussions about return hubs' with leaders at the summit. However Albanian prime minister Edi Rama ruled out being a host to the UK scheme, saying an equivalent measure introduced for the Italian government was a one-off.
The Independent
15-05-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
How might Starmer's migrant ‘return hubs' even work?
Britain has opened talks about sending failed asylum seekers to detention centres abroad, Keir Starmer has confirmed during a trip to Albania. The prime minister said he wanted to send migrants to 'return hubs' overseas once they had exhausted all avenues of appeal. He did not specify which countries were engaged in discussions, but Edi Rama, the Albanian prime minister, made it clear that Albania was not one of them: 'I have said from the outset, it is a model takes its time to be tested and if it works it can be replicated – not in Albania but other countries in the region.' He added: 'To be very frank with you we have been asked by many countries but we said no, as we are loyal to our marriage with Italy.' The Italian government has paid €600m (£505m) for two detention centres in Albania, although so far only 40 failed asylum seekers have been sent to them because the scheme has been beset by legal challenges. So where might British 'return hubs' be? As Rama suggested, other countries in the Balkans have been mooted as possible partners, including Serbia, Bosnia and North Macedonia. Places further afield have been suggested, although the only country known to be in negotiation about opening a return hub is Uganda, which is in discussion with the Netherlands. As the British government is said to be keen to work with other European countries in dealing with asylum, it will be watching to see whether anything comes of those talks. The European Union announced in March that it approved of member states seeking deals to establish offshore detention centres, which means that other countries may join the hunt for sites. Denmark, for example, passed a law four years ago to allow offshore asylum centres, although it has not yet established any. How would return hubs differ from the Rwanda policy? On Starmer's first day in office last year he ended the scheme to remove irregular migrants to Rwanda – a policy he condemned as a 'gimmick'. He said that it would 'never' act as a deterrent because it would take only 1 per cent of people arriving by small boat. The Rwanda policy was different from the current plan in that migrants would not be allowed to apply for asylum in Britain: they would have to apply for asylum in Rwanda, and if they were not accepted as genuine refugees they would be stranded there. The plan for return hubs is to house migrants who have applied for asylum in Britain and who have been rejected. The rationale is that they would not be able to disappear into the grey economy in the UK, and would have an incentive to return home. This is a development of the idea of setting up detention camps in Britain, or on British overseas territories such as St Helena. Tony Blair's government briefly considered siting a detention camp on Mull, in Scotland, while Boris Johnson's government looked at St Helena, Ascension Island and several other unsuitable locations. The other big difference between this plan and the Rwanda policy is that the UNHCR, the UN refugee agency, which condemned the Rwanda scheme, says return hubs are acceptable. Are there any better ideas? A Labour-leaning think tank this week proposed setting up asylum processing centres in France, so that those seeking refugee status in the UK could apply there. The problem with this plan is that many of those whose applications were rejected would still try to cross the Channel by small boat, knowing that once they were in the UK it would be hard to remove them. The think tank's plan is that Britain should propose a deal by which France accepts the return of migrants crossing the Channel in small boats. The idea is that for every genuine refugee the UK accepts, France should take one irregular migrant back. The British government, under both Labour and Conservatives, has been trying to secure a deal like this for some time, but it is not sufficiently in the interest of the French government. It would be left having to deal with thousands of Britain's 'rejects'. For the moment, then, offshore return hubs remain the most likely option, but as the Italian experience with Albania shows, they are hard to negotiate and remain vulnerable to legal challenge.
RNZ News
15-05-2025
- Politics
- RNZ News
UK PM says in talks over third country 'return hubs' for migrants
By Camille Bouissou with Helen Rowe in London, AFP British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Photo: STEPHANIE LECOCQ / AFP The UK is in talks with different countries about setting up "return hubs" for failed asylum seekers, Prime Minister Keir Starmer has said during a visit to Albania focused on immigration. The UK leader is under pressure to reduce immigration and cut the number of irregular migrants arriving on UK shores, many in small boats, amid the rising popularity of the hard-right, anti-immigrant Reform Party. "We are in talks with a number of countries about return hubs," Starmer told a joint news conference with his Albanian counterpart Edi Rama. But Rama made it clear that Albania, which has already reached a similar agreement with Italy, would not be involved. Starmer insisted his 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 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." Last July, Starmer's Labour government abandoned the Conservatives' scheme to deport undocumented migrants to Rwanda. Rama said hosting a UK return hub in Albania was not on the table. An earlier deal made with Italy had been a "one-off", he said. The scheme by Italy for Italian-run facilities to process migrants in Albania is currently bogged down in the courts. "The model that we've brought to Albania in cooperation with Italy ... is a model that takes its time to be tested," said Rama. "If it works, it can be replicated, but not in Albania, in other countries of the region." Britain's opposition Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch rejected Starmer's "return hubs" plan. "Starmer is making an effort, but this will NOT stop the boats," she wrote on X. "We left Labour a real deterrent. This is weaker than the Rwanda plan and won't work," she added. The Refugee Council called the idea "inhumane, unworkable and a waste of public funds". In March, the European Commission unveiled a planned reform of the 27-nation bloc's return system, opening the way for member states to set up migrant return centres outside the EU. Earlier this week Starmer unveiled tough new immigration policies, setting off a storm of criticism when he warned the UK could become "an island of strangers." The new policies include cutting the number of overseas care workers, doubling the length of time before migrants can qualify for settlement in the country and new powers to deport foreign criminals. The announcement was widely seen as a bid to fend off rising support for anti-immigrant firebrand Nigel Farage's hard-right Reform UK party. Labour vowed in its general election manifesto last year to significantly reduce net migration, which stood at 728,000 in the 12 months to last June. It peaked at 906,000 in 2023 after averaging 200,000 for most of the 2010s. In addition to high levels of legal migration, the UK has also seen unprecedented numbers of irregular migrants. And the numbers of asylum seekers has tripled to 84,200 in 2024, compared to 27,500 between 2010 and 2011. More than 12,500 migrants have made the perilous Channel crossing so far this year, according to an AFP tally based on figures from the UK's interior ministry. They were mainly Afghans, Syrians and Iranians. Under a 2002 deal, Albanians arriving in the UK on small boats across the Channel can be sent back immediately. Some 5294 Albanians were sent back in 2024, more than double the 2035 Albanian nationals returned two years earlier. Starmer also announced an expansion of the Joint Migration Taskforce in the Western Balkans, set up with Albania and Kosovo, to include North Macedonia and Montenegro. It would allow greater intelligence sharing to intercept smuggling gangs and deploy UK funded drones to snare criminals funnelling migrants through the Western Balkans to the UK. -AFP
Sky News
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Sky News
An embarrassment for Starmer on migrant return hubs?
Sir Keir Starmer used his first visit to Albania to announce the UK is keen to set up "return hubs" to deport migrants. Formal discussions are under way, he said, with various countries. We don't know which these are, but we know which aren't keen - rather awkwardly, Albania. Their prime minister, Edi Rama, said he remained "loyal" to their "marriage" with Italy - relations with other countries are "simply love". The Conservatives say the trip is therefore an embarrassment for Sir Keir. His team say this was never on the agenda for this trip, which is about joint policing and intelligence sharing. First of all, what are return hubs? Essentially, return hubs are processing centres for people who have exhausted all their options to stay in the UK - including asylum applications, appeals and attempts to claim certain work or study visas. They will be sent back to their home country, and while that happens, they can go to these return hubs - to prevent them absconding. Officials said it would also prevent them starting a family, for example, and using that as part of their claim to stay in the UK. Italy has one already but it's not used Georgia Meloni's government has been keen on these for some time, and has built two in Albania - at the port of Shengjin, and the village of Gjader - big enough for 36,000 people a year. But both, which Sky News visited last year, are currently empty. The courts in Rome say they can't be used until the European Court of Justice rules them safe. A ruling is expected next month. Although, in a boost to the UK government's plans, the UN's refugee agency, has backed the principle of return hubs, if they meet human rights standards. 1:30 Is this like the Rwanda plan? Spending millions on housing for migrants that then lies empty may sound familiar- but this is different to the Rwanda plan. Agreed by the Conservatives, Rwanda was scrapped by Sir Keir when Labour won office - he said it was "unethical, unworkable and extortionate". The key difference is that under the Rwanda plan, asylum seekers would not be able to claim to stay in the UK - they would be deported and could only apply to stay in Rwanda. This was ruled unlawful by the Supreme Court. Why did Albania say no? The UK hasn't always endeared itself to Albania, with comments by former home secretary Suella Braverman about an "invasion" of "Albanian criminals" causing anger here. David Cameron cut short a much-anticipated visit, as foreign secretary, to just 89 minutes, when the 2024 general election was called - causing offence. And Mr Rama pointedly talked about the "stigmatising" of Albanians living legally in the UK. Andi Hoxhaj, a Balkan expert at Kings' College London, told me: "The UK just hasn't put in the work. It's the first visit by a UK prime minister 103 years after diplomatic relations were established. Starmer and Yvette Cooper understand this and want warmer relations. But it was wishful thinking that a return hub would be agreed." So who else might have one? The government has been concentrating their efforts to "smash the gangs" on the Western Balkans. The joint enforcement in Albania, has - according to the National Crime Agency - been a model which other countries could follow. There are likely to be discussions at the European Political Community summit on Friday with countries such as Serbia, North Macedonia and Montenegro to scope out their interest, and the UK is hosting a Western Balkans summit in London in autumn 2025.
Daily Mail
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Keir Starmer left red-faced as he hails talks over Rwanda-style 'return hubs' for failed asylum seekers... minutes before Albanian counterpart Edi Rama says they WON'T be hosting one
Keir Starmer was left red-faced today as he hailed talks over Rwanda-style 'return hubs' - minutes before his Albanian counterpart ruled out hosting one. The PM revealed this morning that he has authorised discussions with a string of Balkan states that would see the UK pay to send failed asylum seekers overseas. He suggested he would be speaking about the idea with Edi Rama on a visit to Tirana today. However, at a joint press conference, Mr Rama said: 'I have been very clear since day one when we started this process with Italy that this was a one off with Italy because of our very close relation but also because of the geographical situation which makes a lot of sense.' Sir Keir declined to name the countries involved - thought to include Serbia, Bosnia and North Macedonia - but added: 'At the appropriate time, I'll be able to give you further details in relation to it.' Speaking in Albania earlier, Sir Keir said: '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. 'So that's what the talks are about. I would say in this area no single measure is going to be the measure that is, if you like, a silver bullet. '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 to add to our armoury, will allow us to bear down on this vile trade and to make sure that we stop those people crossing the Channel.' Downing Street said the plans were 'entirely different' to the last government's flagship Rwanda deportation scheme. But the decision to open talks on paying to send asylum seekers to third countries will leave the Prime Minister open to allegations of hypocrisy. Sir Keir scrapped the Rwanda scheme within days of coming to office, branding it a 'gimmick'. But ministers are now scrambling to find a replacement that could act as a deterrent to Channel migrants following a surge in crossings since Labour came to power. Arrivals this year have topped 12,000 - an increase of 40 per cent on 2024. More than 600 crossed on Monday while the PM was giving a major speech promising a crackdown on immigration. The surge in numbers threatens to make a mockery of Labour's plan to 'smash the gangs', with ministers now resorting to blaming the fine weather for the increase in illegal crossings. The new plan will involve sending paying to send potentially thousands of failed asylum seekers to the Balkans, rather than holding them in the UK until they can be removed. In some cases, those involved will be from countries like Afghanistan which are deemed too dangerous to return people to. But officials say many other cases involve people who are 'actively frustrating' their removal to relatively safe countries through tactics like destroying their identity documents. One Whitehall insider described the plan as 'Rwanda-lite' but insisted it still had the potential to act as a deterrent and persuade some failed asylum seekers to return home voluntarily rather than gamble on finding a way to stay in the UK. A government source said: 'We think this has the potential to be a viable, cost-effective option that meets our international obligations and can reduce the burden of illegal migration on UK shores.' The source said that removing failed asylum seekers more quickly would 'reduce opportunities for them to find further reasons in the UK - such as quickly marrying someone, or starting a family, which makes their removal harder'. Under the last government's Rwanda scheme, Channel migrants would have been sent directly to Africa, with no opportunity to return to the UK. The new proposal would target only those who have exhausted the asylum appeals process - a process which can take months or even years. Ministers are optimistic that the plans will comply with international law. Similar ideas are already being pursued by other EU countries and the UNHCR refugee agency has signalled it does not oppose the idea in principle. A government source said: 'Our guiding principle will always be something that is workable and meets international obligations.'
