Europe's
first deportation center for failed asylum seekers to open in Rwanda: report
Wednesday,
28 October 2026 - 13:42
The first
European third-country “return hub” for failed asylum seekers will be
established in Rwanda, sources told RTL Nieuws. In recent months, the
Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Denmark, and Greece have been jointly exploring
the possibilities for such a facility in a non-European country where asylum
seekers whose applications have been rejected will await deportation to their
countries of origin.
According
to RTL’s sources, a proposal has now been put forward for Rwanda. The plan will
be officially announced at a special meeting in Vienna on November 16.
Rwanda is
reportedly ready to host asylum seekers. In a deal with the United Kingdom that
fell through in 2024, the country already established the Hope Hostel intended
to house individuals deported from the UK. The hostel is currently vacant.
“There is
space for 100 migrants. They share double bedrooms and communal washrooms, a
dining hall, a garden with palm trees, and sports fields. It fits the ideal
picture for the Netherlands and other European countries that are promising a
‘safe return hub,’” RTL’s Africa correspondent said after visiting the site.
There is also an empty residential area intended to house asylum seekers who
can’t return to their home countries.
RTL’s
sources did not say whether the Hope Hostel was part of the European deal with
Rwanda, but it seems the logical choice. They also did not say what Rwanda
would get in return for taking Europe’s asylum seekers.
Refugee
advocacy groups and human rights organizations are against the practice of
sending failed asylum seekers to third countries - non-European countries that
they have no connection to. Vluchtelingenwerk previously also raised concerns
about the human rights situation in Rwanda.
"Independent
monitoring of human rights is virtually impossible in Rwanda. Furthermore, the
[immigration service] IND itself has concluded that Rwanda cannot be classified
as a safe third country,” Vluchtelingenwerk director Sjoerd Warmerdam told RTL
Nieuws. “The United Kingdom previously attempted to strike a 'deal' with
Rwanda, but that fell through—rightly so—precisely because of the human rights
situation.”
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