German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt has proposed the creation of “return hubs” for rejected asylum seekers who cannot be sent back to their home countries, ahead of a meeting of European interior ministers scheduled for October 4.
Speaking to the Münchner Merkur in remarks published on Thursday, Dobrindt said the centres should be established as close as possible to countries of origin. “We want the EU to provide the legal framework for such centres,” he stated, while noting that member states may need to take the lead in setting them up.
He explained that the plan requires coordinated efforts among EU countries, though specific locations have yet to be determined. “Where exactly, we have not yet agreed,” Dobrindt added.
The meeting in Munich is expected to bring together numerous European interior ministers along with EU Migration Commissioner Magnus Brunner. A similar gathering was held in July on Germany’s Zugspitze Mountain.
Dobrindt stressed that integration will remain a key factor in residency decisions. “Those who integrate and work have a chance to stay in Germany. For all others, we want to enforce the obligation to leave,” he said.
According to the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees, 78,246 people applied for asylum in Germany for the first time between January and August—about half the number recorded in the same period last year.