Denmark to host talks to push failed deportation centres abroad – again

Despite a track record so far of failed projects, Denmark is hosting the latest round of talks in the hopes of setting up asylum deportation centres abroad – with Rwanda and Uganda among the frontrunners. The meeting, set to take place in Copenhagen on Friday (4 September), will see a gathering of ministers from Austria, Denmark, Germany, Greece and the Netherlands. “Austria and Denmark have been close partners for around four years and thus also drivers of asylum procedures and return centres in countries outside Europe,” said Austria’s interior minister Gerhard Karner, last month. “Now we are working together – concretely and consistently – on their implementation.” The plan is to launch an initial project next year with the meeting in Copenhagen set to determine further steps. The plans come despite opposition from both Spain and France, noting similar past efforts have failed to deliver results at enormous financial and human expense. While reports initially emerged that at least a dozen foreign countries could potentially host such centres, the list has been narrowed down after Libya and Egypt were ruled out, leaving Rwanda and Uganda as likely front runners. Aside from receiving large sums of EU development aid, Rwanda is also currently hosting a UN refugee agency (UNHCR) transit centre for people evacuated from Libya. Rwandan authorities last month confirmed talks are in place, although no decision has yet been taken. As for Uganda, reports have emerged that it is in advanced talks with Austria, Denmark, Germany, Greece and the Netherlands. Each are negotiating bilaterally, echoing a Dutch draft deal signed last year, whereby Uganda would take in failed asylum seekers from countries in the region. The five European countries can so far only look with envy at the United States, which has entered similar deportation agreements with more than 35 countries, including war-ravaged South Sudan. Washington has reportedly so far deported more than 23,000 people to countries where they have zero connections. While most have been sent to Mexico, hundreds have also ended up in countries in Africa such as Ghana and Liberia. The US also has agreements with Kosovo and Moldova, according to US-based Human Rights First and Refugees International. It is also using Poland to transfer the deportees to other countries. "The agreements treat immigrants and refugees as bargaining chips, reflecting the Trump administration’s transactional and corrupt approach to foreign policy," said the Human Rights First and Refugees International, in a joint-statement. The EU is catching up.