At the Munich Security Conference a new European “core group for third‑country solutions” convened, aiming to advance “innovative models” such as the so‑called Return Hubs quickly. The German Interior Ministry announced this on Sunday.
Key delegates included European Commissioner for Asylum and Migration Magnus Brunner, the Dutch Minister for Asylum and Migration David van Weel, and Austrian Interior Minister Gerhard Karner. Greece and Denmark have also pledged support for the initiative.
German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt used the conference to discuss the legal implementation of third‑country models and their effective integration into both national and EU asylum systems. He emphasized that Europe is ready to shoulder joint responsibility and forge new paths.
The core group was first formed at a side‑event during an informal meeting of interior and justice ministers in Cyprus. Its current goal is to embed the initiative more widely across Europe and launch concrete cooperation models.