Uganda is expected to host the first facility for irregular migrants transferred from Europe in 2027 under a plan being developed by five European Union countries, Kathimerini has learned.
Diplomatic sources said an agreement with the African country has entered an advanced stage. The initiative is being promoted by Germany, Austria, the Netherlands, Denmark and Greece and would involve financial compensation for Uganda.
The proposal is based on the idea that many migrants would choose to return voluntarily to their countries of origin rather than remain in Uganda.
The five countries’ migration ministers are scheduled to meet in Copenhagen on September 4 to assess progress in the negotiations. Technical teams are expected to travel to Africa before the end of the month for final discussions. Rwanda remains the main alternative option, while Kenya, which had also been considered, appears to have been excluded.
The center would initially operate as a pilot program housing between 5,000 and 10,000 migrants whose asylum applications have already been rejected in the countries where they first arrived. The plan calls for selecting adult men who have caused problems in reception facilities and excludes children.
