The United Kingdom government, led by Prime Minister Keir Starmer, is actively pursuing talks with several unspecified third countries to establish so-called “return hubs”. These hubs would serve as locations to send migrants who have been refused the right to stay in Britain and have exhausted all possible legal appeals against deportation.

The initiative comes amid growing pressure on Starmer to demonstrate effective control over migration, an issue that has deeply concerned many voters. For over a decade, migration has been a politically sensitive topic driving successive British governments to adopt increasingly stringent border controls and deportation policies.

Starmer publicly confirmed the ongoing discussions during a visit to Albania, where he also announced efforts to combat people-trafficking gangs that facilitate dangerous migrant crossings to the U.K., often involving small boats launched from the French coast.

The proposed return hubs would be a fresh approach following Starmer’s swift cancellation of the previous Conservative government’s controversial Rwanda deportation scheme, which he had criticized as a political gimmick. Unlike that plan, the new proposals aim to send migrants to safe third countries while they await new documentation, effectively preventing them from stalling their removal with legal maneuvers.

Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, speaking alongside Starmer, highlighted an existing returns agreement between Albania and Italy. This model has faced numerous legal challenges and remains untested, and Rama expressed reluctance to extend such a scheme to the U.K.

According to a government spokesperson, the return hubs would focus on individuals who have used legal tactics—such as losing documents or other methods—to delay deportation after exhausting all legal options to remain in the U.K. These migrants would be relocated to a third country where their removal process could continue more efficiently.

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