COPENHAGEN: Denmark said Friday it was ready to send rejected asylum seekers to 'return hubs' as of 2027, as it hosted talks with four EU countries on the creation of migrant detention centers outside Europe.
"On the Danish side, we expect to be ready to send the first foreigners to a partner country by the end of next year," Danish Migrations Minister Morten Bodskov said in a statement.
He was meeting with his German, Dutch, Austrian and Greek counterparts on Friday in Copenhagen on the creation of deportation centers outside the European Union.
"This is an important step towards a more efficient asylum and migration system," Bodskov said.
"We do not accept that foreigners staying illegally in Denmark should be rewarded because of our difficulties in returning them."
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In June, the European Parliament approved tougher migration rules granting authorities much broader detention powers, and allowing for the creation of 'return hubs'.
The idea has been severely criticized by human rights groups.
The partner country or countries have not been disclosed, but Uganda and Rwanda in particular are seen as possibilities.
Britain abandoned a scheme to deport undocumented migrants to Rwanda, while Italian-run facilities to process migrants in Albania have faced legal challenges and a slow uptake.