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Migrants expelled from the United States in a shared outdoor area at a hotel in Kinshasa on April 22, 2026. [AFP]
Reports suggest that Kenya is among countries being considered as a potential destination for rejected asylum seekers under the European Union's expanding migration externalisation agenda. While no agreement has been concluded, and Kenyan officials have publicly denied that a formal deal exists, the very fact that Kenya is being discussed as a viable option should alarm anyone concerned with sovereignty, human rights, and the unequal relationship between Europe and Africa.
The proposed deal is one in a long list of examples of the Global North increasingly attempting to outsource its responsibilities under international law by paying countries in the Global South to shoulder burdens it no longer wishes to carry.
The proposal to have asylum seekers moved outside of Europe reflects a broader shift in European migration policy. Faced with growing electoral pressure from anti-immigrant parties, European governments are searching for ways to reduce the number of asylum seekers who remain within European borders. Increasingly, that has meant negotiating agreements with countries outside Europe to host migrants. The United Kingdom attempted to have its asylum seekers hosted by Rwanda only a few years ago.
