UK eyes Kosovo for return hubs to tackle small-boat migrant crisis

The UK government is reportedly considering Kosovo as a potential site for one of its proposed overseas “return hubs” to house rejected asylum seekers. The initiative aims to relocate migrants who have exhausted all legal appeals in the UK to safe third countries, easing pressure on Britain’s asylum system.

Kosovo is among nine countries shortlisted by UK ministers and officials for establishing such hubs, alongside Serbia, North Macedonia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, and several non-European nations, Caliber.Az reports per foreign media.

While formal talks have yet to begin, officials hope to make progress ahead of a western Balkans summit in London this autumn, where illegal migration will be a priority.

Kosovo’s president, Vjosa Osmani, recently expressed openness to discussions on hosting return hubs, saying, “There’s been no formal talks with the UK on this issue. It hasn’t been raised so far. We would be open to discussing it, however I can’t say more than that because I don’t know the details. I cannot give an answer on a request that hasn’t been made so far.”

The move comes after Albania’s Prime Minister Edi Rama ruled out hosting a return hub, despite earlier UK hopes. Senior government sources describe Kosovo as a “plausible” candidate due to its location along one of the main migrant routes into the European Union. Last year, nearly 22,000 migrants entered the EU via the western Balkans, according to the Foreign Office.

The UK views countries through which migrants transit as key to establishing the legal basis for deportations, allowing it to argue that asylum seekers had opportunities to apply for protection in these “safe” countries but declined.

Since February 2022, Britain has faced mounting pressure over the record number of migrants crossing the Channel in small boats. So far this year, over 13,500 arrivals have been recorded—a 37 per cent increase compared to last year.

David Lammy, UK Foreign Secretary, recently visited Kosovo, where a deal was struck to provide British technology aimed at curbing smuggling networks. The EU has endorsed return hubs, and other European countries—including Italy, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, and Switzerland—are exploring similar arrangements.

The concept of return hubs has received backing from the UNHCR, which is seen as crucial given its earlier legal challenges to the UK’s Rwanda deportation scheme.

Any agreement would require financial compensation to host countries. Kosovo has previously demonstrated willingness to accept international deals, such as a €200 million agreement with Denmark in 2021 to house foreign prisoners, though the arrangement has yet to be implemented.

Government sources emphasize that any UK return hub must be “affordable, workable and legal,” with Labour ruling out Rwanda as a safe destination, contrasting with the previous Conservative scheme.

By Vafa Guliyeva