KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – European Union member states have approved new rules allowing countries to establish so-called “return hubs” for migrants outside the bloc, as the EU moves to strengthen the enforcement of deportation orders and increase the number of migrants returned from Europe.
The new rules, approved by EU interior ministers at a meeting in Luxembourg on October 1, allow member states to establish return hubs in third countries for people who have been ordered to leave the EU. The rules also introduce a European Return Order, under which member states can recognise return decisions issued by other EU countries.
Greek Migration Minister Thanos Plevris said the first return hub could be established in the second half of 2027 in an unspecified African country.
Under the new system, people without the legal right to remain in the EU will be required to leave and cooperate with authorities during the return process. Those who refuse to cooperate could face measures including reductions in social benefits, financial penalties or criminal sanctions.
The rules also allow member states to impose indefinite entry bans on people considered security risks and, in certain cases, hold them in detention for more than 24 months.
The United Nations human rights office has raised concerns over the safeguards surrounding return hubs, particularly regarding independent monitoring, appeal rights, human rights assessments and conditions in countries receiving migrants. The UN has warned that transferring people to countries with which they have no genuine connection could expose them to arbitrary detention, ill-treatment and refoulement, including chain refoulement.
The new policy could also affect Afghan migrants who have received orders to leave European countries. Germany and Switzerland have already carried out deportations to Afghanistan under Taliban control, while other European countries have been seeking ways to increase returns.
The EU says the new system is intended to address the bloc’s historically low return rate. In 2025, EU countries issued almost 492,000 orders for people to leave, while about 135,000 people were actually returned, according to figures cited by the European Commission and Euronews. The European Commission said the return rate reached 28 percent in 2025 and argued that the new regulation would make the process faster and more effective.
Recent Eurostat figures show that the number of actual returns has continued to increase in 2026. In the second quarter alone, 36,825 non-EU citizens were returned to third countries following orders to leave, a 9.7 percent increase compared with the same period in 2025.
The EU’s move comes amid a broader shift towards stricter migration enforcement. The bloc has also called for stronger cooperation with countries of origin and transit, greater use of Frontex in return operations and measures aimed at making deportations faster.
For Afghans, the policy has particular significance because returns to Afghanistan raise questions about safety and human rights protections under Taliban control. The UN human rights office has warned that return arrangements must include individual assessments of protection needs and safeguards against refoulement. It has also expressed concern that sending people to countries where they have no genuine connection may increase their vulnerability.
The first return hubs are expected to begin operating in 2027. Several EU countries, including Germany, Austria, Denmark, Greece and the Netherlands, have already been working on arrangements with non-EU countries, although the final locations of the centres have not been publicly confirmed.
The EU’s tougher migration policies come as several European countries have increased cooperation with Taliban authorities to facilitate the return of Afghan nationals, despite the Taliban’s continued restrictions on human rights, particularly those affecting women and girls. Germany has resumed deportation flights to Afghanistan, while other European countries have explored similar arrangements.
At the same time, the EU has tightened asylum and return rules, increased pressure on migrants to leave, and expanded measures aimed at speeding up deportations. Human rights organisations have warned that returns to Taliban-controlled Afghanistan must take into account the risks faced by individuals, particularly women, human rights defenders and others who may face persecution or serious human rights violations.
