Uzbekistan has once again appeared on the list of potential countries that could accept migrants who were denied the right to stay in the European Union. This initiative is supported by a group of five EU countries led by Greece, and the pilot project is scheduled for the first half of 2027.
Greece's Minister of Migration and Asylum, Fanos Plebris, stated that Denmark, Austria, Germany, the Netherlands, and Greece plan to develop a system that would allow for the redirection of individuals with rejected asylum applications to third countries outside the EU.
Among the countries being considered to receive migrants are Rwanda, Uganda, and Uzbekistan, but no final agreements on this matter have been reached yet.
Plebris clarified that this does not involve creating closed centers for migrants; after receiving an asylum refusal, a person can either return to their country of origin or be directed to a third country outside the European Union.
The five EU countries plan to launch this pilot mechanism in the first half of 2027, with full implementation expected in the second half of the same year. During this period, Greece will chair the EU Council.
The project is in the development stage, during which funding and mechanisms for ensuring migrant rights are being discussed. Previously, in June, the EU Council and the European Parliament preliminarily approved new rules for the return of third-country nationals. These rules include the possibility of establishing return centers outside the EU, provided there are relevant agreements and international norms are observed, including the principle of non-refoulement to places where the person may face persecution.
As of today, there are no official agreements between the European Union and Uzbekistan on this issue. Furthermore, the European Union previously denied reports of negotiations with Tashkent regarding the creation of such centers.
