Germany, the Netherlands, Austria, Denmark and Greece have teamed up to build deportation centres outside Europe, marking the first time a group of EU member states has been established to make the controversial project a reality on the ground.

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The extraterritorial camps, also known as return hubs, are meant to host rejected asylum seekers as they wait to be returned to their countries of origin.

Interior ministers from the five countries gathered on Thursday on the margins of a meeting in Brussels. Magnus Brunner, the European Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration, took part in the discussions as a guest.

“Returns are an essential part of a well-functioning migration management system […] and we are very much committed to working together with the Member States on identifying innovative solutions”, Brunner said in a press conference after the meeting.

Less than one-third of the people who are ordered to leave the EU are effectively returned to their countries of origin, according to Eurostat.

The coalition aims to “go into concrete implementation” of the deportation centres, Austrian Minister Gerhard Karner told journalists upon his arrival in Brussels.

The joint push from Germany, the Netherlands, Austria, Denmark and Greece builds upon a new regulation that will allow member states to outsource their migration policy by building centres outside the bloc. The hubs are meant to host asylum-seekers whose applications for protection have been turned down in Europe.

The regulation was agreed by EU countries last December and is now being discussed by the European Parliament.

When approved, it will enable governments to deport irregular migrants to third countries unrelated to them, as long as they have bilateral agreements in place. The centres can be either places of transit or locations where a person is expected to stay.

In the meantime, countries are exploring ways to seal partnerships with third countries available to host the migrants they have rejected.

Destination unclear

Germany, the Netherlands, Austria, Denmark and Greece believe that moving ahead in smaller groups is the best way to achieve effective results and prove the contentious model can work in practice, according to diplomats familiar with their thinking.

The coalition already has concrete ideas on how to move ahead, but prefers to keep quiet on any potential destination to avoid spoiling its chances. Any country that might agree to host the return hubs would be offered incentives in exchange.

For Greece, it is important to be the only Southern European country participating in this initiative, government sources told Efsyn newspaper, as the move also sends a deterrent message regarding migration flows.

Other countries are also moving on the topic.

Finland has discussed a similar project with other Nordic countries and is already in talks with non-EU governments, the country’s Interior Minister Mari Rantanen told EU News.

Italy is operating a de facto return hub in Albania, with two centres in Shengjin and Gjader hosting dozens of migrants waiting to be deported.

Still, the idea remains highly controversial. Humanitarian organisations have repeatedly warned that such facilities could result in migrants being held in prison-like conditions, and stressed there is a grave risk of rampant human rights violations.

NGOs have urged the European Parliament to block the regulation, which is due to be voted on by the Civil Liberties Committee on Monday. If approved, it has to be endorsed by the whole Parliament before negotiations with member states can begin.