The UK government is in the early stages of considering plans to send failed asylum seekers, including those arriving on small boats, to overseas "migrant hubs." According to a Home Office source, discussions are in their infancy, with ministers keen to learn from Italy’s approach in Albania. The Italian government, under its right-wing leadership, has established two facilities in the Balkan nation where migrants are held while their asylum claims are processed.

 

Government officials have reportedly identified Albania, Serbia, Bosnia, and North Macedonia as potential locations for such hubs. This consideration arises as migrants continue to arrive on British shores. On Saturday, several asylum seekers were seen arriving in Dover, while official figures show that 246 people crossed the Channel in five boats on Friday. The total number of crossings this year has already reached 5,271, the highest ever recorded at this early stage of the year.

 

 

The Labour government’s proposed asylum strategy is expected to diverge significantly from the previous Conservative administration’s Rwanda plan, which aimed to deport all illegal migrants, regardless of the validity of their asylum claims. The Supreme Court ruled in 2023 that Rwanda was not a safe destination for asylum seekers. The Home Office has not yet disclosed which countries it is considering for the proposed hubs, stating that discussions have not yet formally begun. However, a government source confirmed that the UK is closely monitoring Italy’s arrangement with Albania, despite legal challenges against that agreement.

 

Meanwhile, the European Union recently proposed allowing member states to establish return hubs, a move endorsed by the UN’s International Organisation for Migration. The organization has offered to assist states in designing return policies that align with European and international law.

Earlier this month, the UK signed a new agreement with France aimed at strengthening cooperation in tackling people smuggling across the Channel.

 

The government’s Border Security, Asylum, and Immigration Bill is also progressing through Parliament, proposing new criminal offences and expanded counterterrorism-style powers for police and immigration enforcement agencies to target smuggling networks.

 

Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp criticized Labour’s new approach, stating, "This is Labour admitting they made a catastrophic mistake in cancelling the Rwanda scheme before it even started. But the tragedy is it will take some time before this can be done and, in the meantime, tens of thousands of illegal migrants will have poured into the country, costing UK taxpayers billions and making a mockery of our border security.

 

The fact they are now looking at offshore processing shows they were wrong to cancel Rwanda before it even started and shows their attempts to ‘smash the gangs’ have failed. In fact, illegal immigrants crossing the Channel are up 28% since the election, and this year has been the worst ever. Labour has lost control of our borders. They should urgently start the Rwanda removals scheme."

 

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey also expressed concerns about the increase in migrant crossings but welcomed the decision to abandon the Rwanda plan. "I'm actually glad that the government scrapped the Rwanda scheme because it wasn't working as a deterrent," he said. "In fact, hardly anybody went, and it was costing huge amounts of money.

 

If they’ve got a better scheme that will work, we’ll look at that. But they’ve also got to do quite a few other things. There are too many hotels being used because people aren’t being processed quickly enough, and Liberal Democrats have argued for a long time that if you process people, you give them the right to work so they can actually contribute. That’s the way you could save a lot of money, and I think taxpayers would support that."

 

The government has yet to provide further comments on the matter, but the discussion around offshore processing is expected to continue as ministers evaluate possible solutions to the ongoing migrant crisis.

 

Based on a report by Sky News  2025-03-25

 

 

Typical of labour under Starmer. Cancelled the Rwanda operation on day one. Now looking to u turn and try something similar. to deport illegal immigrants

Rwanda is not safe. Involved in a proxy war in the Congo, danger of turning into a regional conflict. Cancelling the plan was fortuitous. 

Thought Germany was now using our facilities in Rwanda as it was empty.  Thankyou UK for paying for all this.