UK to begin talks on return hubs for failed asylum seekers

The UK will begin talks with other countries on “return hubs” for failed asylum seekers as the Government seeks to crack down on small boats crossing the Channel.

On a trip to Albania on Thursday, Sir Keir Starmer announced that the Government would begin exploring the possibility of sending failed asylum seekers for processing in third countries prior to deportation.

Speaking in Albania, the Prime Minister told GB News: “What now we want to do and are having discussions of, talks of, is return hubs, which is where someone has been through the system in the UK, they need to be returned and we have to make sure they’re returned effectively and we’ll do that, if we can, through return hubs.”

The Government would not comment on which countries would be involved in the talks, but the subject is understood to not be on the agenda for the Prime Minister’s meetings in Tirana on Thursday.

The announcement comes in the same week that the number of people crossing the Channel in small boats passed 12,000 for the year, putting 2025 on course to be a record year for crossings.

Sir Keir said establishing return hubs would not be a “silver bullet” for halting the crossings.

But combined with other measures to tackle smuggling gangs and return those with no right to be in the UK, it would “allow us to bear down on this vile trade and make sure that we stop those people crossing the Channel”.

If established, the return hubs will target failed asylum seekers who are seeking to frustrate their deportation or have lost their paperwork.

By removing them to another country, the Government hopes to reduce their ability to find other reasons to prevent deportation, such as starting a family.

The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “This will basically apply to people who have exhausted all legal routes to remain in the UK but are attempting to stall, using various tactics, whether it’s losing their paperwork or using other tactics to frustrate their removal.”

The spokesman added: “It will ensure that they don’t have the chance to make their removal harder by using tactics such as starting a family, et cetera, as we have seen from cases in the past.

“That obviously will reduce the cost to the taxpayer.”

The proposal is also expected to act as a deterrent to further crossings, but differs from the previous government’s Rwanda scheme as it would only apply to failed asylum seekers who have exhausted their avenues for appeal.

Officials will conduct negotiations with potential host countries over the coming months.

Italy currently operates a similar programme with Albania, sending failed asylum seekers to the country while they await deportation.

The Italian scheme was intended to provide offshore processing for migrants, but that plan has been held up by legal action.

Edi Rama, Albania’s prime minister, appeared to rule out being a host to the UK scheme.

“We have been asked by several countries if we were open to it, and we said no, because we are loyal to the marriage with Italy and the rest is just love,” he told reporters at a press conference held alongside Sir Keir.

Downing Street said it was established before Sir Keir’s visit that Albania would not be part of the UK’s plans and that it was “never planned as part of discussions” between the Prime Minister and Mr Rama.

Sir Keir’s official spokesman said there is a “specific Albania-Italy relationship” on return hubs.

While in Tirana, the Prime Minister is also expected to announce further co-operation with Albania on tackling illegal migration and organised crime alongside his Albanian counterpart.

This is set to include plans to help ensure returned migrants stay in Albania rather than try to enter the UK again – the so-called “revolving door problem”.

Migration is also likely to feature during talks at the European Political Community summit in Tirana on Friday, along with discussion of defence and Ukraine.

Elsewhere as he spoke alongside Mr Rama in Tirana, the Prime Minister was asked if he would apologise on behalf of the UK for negative stereotypes about Albanians.

Sir Keir insisted his visit should be seen “as a statement of intent as to the regard that I hold Albania”.

Chris Philp, the shadow home secretary, claimed the PM’s trip was an “embarrassment”, adding: “Starmer jetted off and now the Albanian prime minister has made clear that there will be no UK return hubs in Albania. So, what was the point of this entire visit?

“Under the Conservatives, we already struck a real returns deal and a law enforcement deal with Albania – and they worked. Small boat arrivals from Albania dropped by over 90%. Now Labour are dishonestly insinuating it’s down to them.”

Mr Philp claimed the Government was “scrambling to stitch together a weak imitation” of the Tories’ Rwanda plan.