Greece eyes transferring migrants to hubs in Africa

ATHENS

Greece eyes transferring irregular migrants to hubs in Africa, reported local media on Friday.

The plan, advanced in coordination with Austria, Denmark, Germany, and the Netherlands, concerns migrants whose asylum applications were rejected and who cannot be immediately returned to their countries of origin, explained the daily Kathimerini.

In this context, initial contacts for “return hubs” were established with Kenya, it said, adding that approaches to Uganda and Rwanda are expected to follow.

According to the newspaper, the plan will be discussed between the five countries next Monday, before being presented on March 5 at the meeting of EU Migration Ministers in Brussels.

Under the plan, thousands of cases concerning migrants who were granted asylum, mainly from Pakistan, Bangladesh, Syria, Iraq, and Egypt, will be reexamined, with the main objective being their return to their countries of origin, adding that migrants who are not accepted by their country of origin will be transferred to the return hubs in Africa.