COPENHAGEN: Five European Union countries are seeking a deal with an unnamed non-EU country to host a “return hub” for migrants whose asylum applications have been rejected, with a targeted start date of January 1, a Danish minister said Friday.

Denmark, Greece, Austria, Germany, and the Netherlands agreed to the initiative during a meeting in Copenhagen. “Around New Year, we expect to have a common understanding with a partner country outside of the European Union,” said Morten Bodskov, the Danish Minister for Immigration.