Migrants on a dinghy attempting to cross the English Channel off the coast between Berck and Merlimont, northern France. Photo: SNMS Berck sur Mer / AFP / Lehtikuva
International news
Five European Union countries are seeking an agreement with a country outside the bloc to receive migrants who have no legal right to remain in the EU, as Denmark targets the end of 2027 for the first transfers. Germany, Austria, Greece, Denmark and the Netherlands agreed on steps towards establishing so-called return hubs.
The five governments, which refer to themselves as the Group of Five, want to reach an agreement with at least one partner country before the end of 2026.
Ministers meeting in Copenhagen on Friday did not identify a prospective host.
