Leaders in Kosovo and North Macedonia said they have not been formally approached by the United Kingdom about hosting migrant return hubs, following remarks by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer that the UK is in talks with several countries over plans to process failed asylum seekers abroad.
Speaking at the European Political Community summit in Tirana, Albania, Kosovo’s President Vjosa Osmani and North Macedonia’s Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski told Sky News there had been no official outreach from the UK, but both expressed openness to discussion.
“There’s been no formal talks with the UK on this issue. It hasn’t been raised so far,” Osmani said. “We would be open to discussing it, but I can’t say more than that because I don’t know the details.”
Osmani described the UK as a “steadfast ally,” noting that British-supplied surveillance technology is used in Kosovo to combat trafficking of people and illicit goods.
Mickoski, who also met with Starmer at the summit, said he had not been informed about the proposal. Asked whether formal talks had taken place, he replied: “No, not yet.”
The statements come a day after Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama publicly ruled out hosting a UK migrant return hub, calling his country’s existing arrangement with Italy a “one-off” and criticising what he described as the stigmatisation of Albanians in the UK.
Starmer told reporters in Tirana, Albania on Thursday that the UK was in discussions with “a number of countries” about creating third-country processing centres for failed asylum seekers. He called the return hubs “a very important additional tool in our armoury” to tackle people-smuggling networks, though not a “silver bullet.”
There are six countries in the Western Balkans—Albania, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and Croatia—often seen as key transit points for irregular migration from Asia and Africa into Europe. The UK’s Foreign Office said earlier this year that nearly 22,000 people used the region to enter Europe in 2024.
While UK officials have not disclosed which countries are part of the current talks, media reports suggest discussions may involve up to nine nations.
Following his meeting with Mickoski, Starmer’s office did not mention migration hubs, but said the two leaders had agreed to strengthen cooperation on shared priorities, including trade, defence, and border security. North Macedonia has also joined the UK-led Joint Migration Taskforce, which aims to disrupt criminal groups facilitating illegal migration through the region.
Kosovo, one of Europe’s poorest countries, previously agreed to host 300 foreign prisoners from Denmark under a 200-million-euro deal struck in 2021. The agreement, however, has yet to be implemented.
The UK Labour government has faced mounting pressure over rising small boat crossings of the English Channel. More than 12,000 migrants have arrived by boat so far in 2025—on track to surpass previous years. The rise is attributed in part to improved weather conditions and the growing role of smugglers operating out of northern France.
The opposition Conservatives have criticised the government’s approach, urging a revival of the Rwanda deportation plan, which the current government has shelved. Conservative shadow home secretary Chris Philp accused Starmer of being in “panic mode” and said return hubs lacked credibility without clear agreements.
A Home Office spokesperson said the UK was taking “immediate action” to reduce crossings, including deeper cooperation with France, increased patrols, and legislative reforms to combat organised smuggling networks.