Greece's Migration and Asylum Minister Thanos Pleuris met with Denmark's Migration and Integration Minister Morten Bodskov to discuss plans for so-called Return Hubs in third countries, stepped-up deportations and closer European cooperation against illegal migration.
According to a statement from Greece's Ministry of Migration and Asylum, Greece and Denmark are part of a core group of European countries pushing the initiative to build return centres outside the European Union, alongside Germany, Austria and the Netherlands.
Copenhagen meeting planned for September 4
The two ministers used the meeting to prepare for their next encounter, due to take place in Copenhagen on September 4. The ministry said that meeting is expected to address the next steps of the Return Hubs initiative, with specific announcements also planned.
The Return Hubs concept, championed by a growing bloc of EU governments, envisions holding facilities set up outside Europe where migrants whose asylum claims fail could be sent while awaiting return to their countries of origin. The idea has gained traction among several EU member states seeking tougher migration controls, though it remains a matter of ongoing negotiation at the European level.
Falling arrivals and the Libya route
The talks also covered what the ministry described as a significant drop in migration flows to Greece, as well as the challenges linked to migration flows originating from Libya, which has become one of the main departure points for people attempting to reach Europe by sea.
Pleuris and Bodskov reaffirmed their shared commitment to further strengthening cooperation between Greece and Denmark, with the stated aims of tackling illegal migration, making returns more effective and protecting the European Union's external borders.
Deputy minister also attended
Greece's Deputy Minister of Migration and Asylum, Sevi Voloudaki, also took part in the meeting.
Denmark has positioned itself as one of the most vocal advocates within the EU for outsourcing asylum processing and return procedures to countries outside the bloc, a stance that has aligned it with Greece's own push for tighter migration enforcement. The two countries' continued coordination, along with Germany, Austria and the Netherlands, is expected to feed into the broader EU-level discussion on the Return Hubs proposal in the coming weeks, culminating in next month's meeting in the Danish capital.
