Labour is reportedly considering a plan to send rejected asylum seekers to the Balkans and other third-party countries in an effort to address the small boats crisis.
The government is said to be proposing a series of return hubs where individuals whose asylum applications have been denied could be relocated.
According to reports, countries such as Albania, Serbia, Bosnia, and North Macedonia are being considered as potential locations for these hubs.
Labour is believed to be keen on working with European nations on this initiative, which bears similarities to the previous Conservative government’s plan to send migrants to Rwanda.
The proposal follows the European Union’s recent decision to allow member states to establish return hubs. The initiative has also received support from the UN’s International Organisation for Migration.
Reports suggest that the UK government already has two unused migrant facilities in Albania, which could be swiftly converted into return hubs.
A government source stated that this is a shared challenge across the world and that an international problem requires an international solution. The source added that any scheme considered would need to be affordable, workable, and legal.
Although Albania has previously indicated that it would only accept migrants from Italy due to historical ties between the two countries, the UK government remains confident that a deal can be reached.
Officials hope that the plan will help reduce the number of asylum seekers currently housed in hotels across the UK, which stands at around 38,000.
Labour has argued that a key reason for the difficulty in reducing these numbers is the lengthy appeal process available to migrants.
However, critics have accused the government of backtracking on its stance, with shadow home secretary Chris Philp suggesting that this plan is an admission of failure after Labour scrapped the Rwanda scheme before it could be implemented.
He warned that it will take time for the new approach to take effect, during which tens of thousands of migrants could continue to enter the UK.
Refugee charities have strongly criticised the proposal, dismissing it as a headline-grabbing gimmick.
The Refugee Council has argued that while returning individuals who do not have the right to remain in the UK is a necessary part of an asylum system, effective solutions are needed rather than reactive policies designed to appear tough.
The organisation added that genuine engagement with individuals to support voluntary return to their home countries is far more effective than sending them to detention facilities in Albania or similar locations.
