The European Union is exploring plans to establish offshore migrant deportation centres in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, according to a report by Politico citing European diplomatic sources — a move that would mark a significant escalation in Brussels' drive to tighten migration controls across the bloc.
A coalition of EU member states is understood to be preparing to open negotiations with between eight and ten non-EU countries, with the goal of creating so-called "return hubs" — facilities outside EU territory where migrants earmarked for deportation could be held and processed. At least one European diplomat explicitly named Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan among the countries being considered as potential partners.
The proposal is being driven by the Netherlands, Austria, Denmark, Germany, and Greece. Nations that agree to host such centres would reportedly receive substantial financial aid packages or preferential visa arrangements in return.
A System Under Pressure
The push reflects mounting frustration within European capitals over the near-total collapse of the bloc's existing deportation infrastructure. Figures from Eurostat paint a damning picture: just 28% of migrants officially ordered to leave the EU actually do so — leaving nearly three-quarters in legal limbo and fuelling political pressure from the right across the continent.
The surge of right-wing and anti-immigration parties in recent European elections has forced mainstream governments to adopt increasingly hardline positions on migration, with offshore processing now firmly back on the table despite the controversy it invariably generates.
European officials are deliberately keeping the names of candidate countries under wraps for now, acutely aware of how public and legal blowback has torpedoed earlier schemes. The United Kingdom's plan to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda collapsed entirely under sustained legal challenge, while Italy's bilateral agreement with Albania remains tied up in the courts and far from operational.
Race Against the Clock
The EU is aiming to finalise the operational framework for these offshore hubs by the end of 2026, with officials simultaneously working to draw up a definitive shortlist of third countries willing to enter formal negotiations.
The urgency is underscored by stark demographic data. In 2025, the total migrant population residing within the EU reached a record 64 million people — a rise of 2.1 million in a single year, representing a 3.4% increase on 2024. While the figure marks an all-time high, analysts note that the rate of growth has in fact slightly slowed compared to the 2023–2024 period, which saw an influx of 2.6 million.
Whether Central Asian governments will prove willing partners remains deeply uncertain. Uzbekistan's flat denial of any knowledge of talks suggests that, at the very least, formal overtures have yet to be made — or have been kept deliberately quiet.
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