With xenophobia on the rise, EU capitals warm to schemes once deemed unlawful to deter migrants

Brussels, Belgium –Three years after the United Kingdom’s controversial agreement to relocate asylum seekers to Rwanda drew sharp condemnation from the European Union, a growing number of European governments are quietly reconsidering offshore processing as a feasible means to stem the tide of irregular migration. What was once denounced as inhumane and a breach of international law is now gaining traction in capitals from Rome to Warsaw.

When the UK and Rwanda inked their pact in June 2022, the EU and human rights organisations argued it violated the Geneva Convention and defied EU asylum directives. The European Court of Human Rights issued interim measures to halt the first flights, and Brussels warned member states that replicating such schemes would jeopardise fundamental rights protections. Yet, amid surging xenophobic sentiment and the electoral success of right-wing parties, the political calculus has shifted.

Italy, under its newly elected Interior Minister Lorenzo Bertoli, announced in May that it was in talks with North African nations to establish reception centres for migrants intercepted in the Central Mediterranean. “We need innovative solutions, just as the UK explored,” Bertoli told reporters. “We cannot allow our communities to be overwhelmed by uncontrolled arrivals.”

Similar overtures have emerged from Eastern Europe. Poland’s ruling coalition signalled last month that it would revisit the idea of transferring asylum claims to third countries outside the EU, pointing to cost-sharing and deterrence benefits. Budapest, which already maintains camps on its Serbian border, has pressed for EU funding to expand those facilities.

Advocates warn that these proposals threaten the integrity of the international refugee protection regime. “Offshoring bespeaks a retreat from Europe’s humanitarian obligations and shifts the burden to vulnerable states with weaker oversight,” said Sara Lindquist, director at the Refugee Rights Centre in Stockholm. “We risk setting a dangerous precedent.”

Nevertheless, EU officials admit the political momentum is hard to ignore. One senior diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity, acknowledged that the bloc’s rigid stance has softened. “We are witnessing a pragmatic turn. If member states want to explore alternatives, we may need to adapt our policy framework rather than fight every experiment.”

France, traditionally resistant to offshore mechanisms, is also under pressure. Interior Minister Élodie Marchand hinted in July at pilot projects with former colonies in West Africa. “France must be both compassionate and realistic,” she remarked. “We will explore all avenues to ensure orderly and dignified processing.”

As EU institutions prepare to review the Common European Asylum System later this year, human rights groups are calling for reinforced safeguards. They urge that any outsourced processing operations adhere to strict standards and maintain access to legal counsel. Failure to do so, they warn, could lead to interminable limbo for those seeking protection.

For now, the debate underscores the EU’s struggle to reconcile border control with its human rights traditions. Whether offshore schemes evolve into mainstream policy or fade under legal challenges will depend on the bloc’s ability to forge consensus—and on the resilience of vulnerable migrants caught between competing political imperatives.