ARTE Europe Weekly: EU Looks to ‘Return Hubs’ to Tackle Migration
To speed up deportations of migrants whose asylum claims have failed, the EU is set to authorise detention centres beyond its borders. But will they help to resolve the issue?
The EU has given the go-ahead to member states to strike deals with third countries to create ‘return hubs’ to hold migrants pending repatriation, possibly in Uganda, Uzbekistan or Rwanda. Germany and Denmark are set to adopt the idea but Spain has opposed it and France is sceptical about its effectiveness. Championed by the far right, NGOs have criticised the policy as a breach of fundamental rights.
This programme is produced by the European platform ARTE and available in 10 languages through the European media partnership BEAM. The hub is coordinated by ARTE and includes Balkan Insight (BIRN), Sinopsis (BIRN Romania), El País (ES), Gazeta Wyborcza (PL), Internazionale (IT), Ir (LV), Kathimerini (GR), Le Soir (BE) and Telex (HU). The partnership receives EU-funding following DG CNECT’s call for European Media Hubs within the framework of the EU’s Multimedia Actions.
