Austria, Greece Urge Faster Creation of Return Centers

Austrian Chancellor Christian Stocker and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis agreed during a meeting at the Salzburg Festival on the need for a tougher approach to illegal migration.

They said rejected asylum seekers should be transferred from 2027 to so-called "return centers" outside the European Union, where they would await deportation to their countries of origin. In June, the European Parliament approved legislation paving the way for the centers, according to Kurier.

Both leaders stressed that legal migration remains important for the economy but called for a tougher system to return people whose asylum applications have been rejected. Stocker said stricter measures, including border controls and the suspension of family reunification, were already producing results. In the first half of 2026, Austria recorded more deportations than new asylum applications.

The proposal has drawn sharp criticism. The Council of Europe and human rights groups have warned that sending rejected asylum seekers to third countries could expose them to arbitrary detention and ill-treatment. Human Rights Commissioner Michael O'Flaherty has called on countries considering the policy, including Austria and Greece, to introduce robust safeguards and independent oversight.

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