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Claims are circulating across the Armenian segment of social media alleging that the European Union is considering relocating irregular migrants currently within the EU to Armenia.
In particular, Hmayak Hovhannisyan, President of the Union of Political Scientists and a parliamentary candidate in Armenia’s elections, wrote on his Facebook page that “Europeans are considering hiding migrants entering Italy in Armenia” (he most likely meant the Spain–Morocco migration crisis, rather than Italy – Editor’s note). As evidence, he shared a video claiming that “Italy is proposing to open migrant accommodation hubs in Armenia and several other countries.” According to the same source, the issue was scheduled to be discussed at the EU Council on August 4.
The videos circulating on social media, namely Facebook and TikTok (1, 2), are in Russian.
In addition to social media, the claim was also circulated by several news websites. For example, the Russian state media outlet Sputnik Armenia, citing the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera, reported on the morning of August 3 that:
“Italy will propose establishing migrant accommodation hubs in Armenia and several other countries. At the European Council meeting on August 4, the country’s interior minister will present a proposal to open new hubs to which irregular migrants would be relocated.”
According to the report, Armenia was included among the countries under consideration.
Notably, before Sputnik Armenia, the claim had already been published during the night of August 2 by another Russian state propaganda outlet, RIA Novosti. The same information was also reported by the Russian-language news outlet ‘Вестник Кавказа’ (Causasus Messenger), which operates from Moscow and whose editorial content closely aligns with official Russian and Azerbaijani positions.
It is worth noting that none of these media outlets provided a direct link to the original article published by the Italian newspaper.
The Fact Investigation Platform examined how this information spread and whether the claim has any factual grounds.
Our first finding was that an extraordinary informal videoconference of EU interior ministers is indeed scheduled to take place on August 4. However, the officially published agenda includes only discussion of the situation in Ceuta (related to the Spain–Morocco migration crisis – Editor’s note). There is no mention of Italy’s proposal, migrant hubs, or Armenia anywhere on the agenda.
What did Corriere della Sera actually report?
The Fact Investigation Platform obtained the August 2 article published by Corriere della Sera that had been cited by the Russian media (paid article – ed.). It was written by Simone Canettieri.
According to the newspaper, Italian Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi intended to present, during the August 4 discussions, a proposal to establish new EU-funded return hubs based on the “Albanian model.” The article states that most of these hubs are expected to be located in African countries.
The article then states that a preliminary list of countries that “could potentially be involved” in the initiative has already been drawn up. The countries listed are Rwanda, Ghana, Senegal, Tunisia, Libya, Mauritania, Egypt, Uganda, Uzbekistan, Armenia, Montenegro, and Ethiopia.
However, the newspaper does not specify who compiled the list, the criteria used to select these countries, the document in which it is set out, or whether Italian or EU officials have contacted the governments of the countries mentioned.
The article contains no further information concerning Armenia. In particular, it does not state that Armenia has received an official proposal, that negotiations are underway, or that the Armenian authorities have agreed to establish such a hub on their territory.
FIP.am requested clarification from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia. MFA spokesperson Ani Badalyan stated that the Ministry has no information regarding such a proposal.
“No such proposal has been made to us, nor has such an issue been discussed with us,” the MFA spokesperson said.
In other words, Armenia’s foreign ministry has no information indicating that the country is being involved in the initiative to establish migrant return hubs, that such a proposal has been presented to Armenia, or that any discussions on the matter have taken place.
The list including Armenia is not new
This is not the first time Armenia has appeared on a list of potential third countries.
The same list of 12 countries was already circulating in early April 2026.
On April 1, the AFP news agency, citing anonymous diplomatic sources, reported that Denmark, Austria, Greece, Germany, and the Netherlands were exploring the possibility of establishing return hubs in third countries.
AFP published the very same list: Rwanda, Ghana, Senegal, Tunisia, Libya, Mauritania, Egypt, Uganda, Uzbekistan, Armenia, Montenegro, and Ethiopia.
At the same time, AFP’s source explicitly emphasized that the list was neither final nor exhaustive, and that the discussions were at a very preliminary stage, aimed solely at determining the willingness of potential partner countries to participate.
Consequently, the list featured in Corriere della Sera’s article does not appear to be a new proposal by Italy directed at Armenia. Rather, it is the same preliminary list that has been circulating since April in the context of discussions among several European countries.
Who could be sent to the “return hubs”?
The reports circulating online use terms such as “detention hubs for irregular migrants” or “migrant accommodation hubs.” However, EU documents refer to these facilities as return hubs.
These hubs are not intended for all migrants present within the European Union. Rather, they are designed for third-country nationals who do not have the legal right to remain in an EU member state. The hubs may serve either as a final destination or as a transit facility before individuals are returned to their country of origin or another destination.
Under the rules developed by the European Union, such a hub may be established in a third country only on the basis of an agreement or arrangement with that country. The cooperating country must comply with international human rights standards and the principle of non-refoulement. Unaccompanied minors are excluded from these mechanisms.
In other words, even if EU legislation provides for the possibility of establishing return hubs in third countries, this does not mean that such a hub could be opened in Armenia without the consent of the Armenian authorities.
Thus, the claim circulating on social media and in Kremlin-aligned media outlets that the European Union is considering relocating irregular migrants to Armenia or establishing a migrant hub in the country is not supported by the available evidence. Corriere della Sera merely mentioned Armenia as one of the countries included in a provisional list of potential participants, without providing any information about a proposal to Armenia, negotiations with the Armenian authorities, or any form of consent.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia has likewise stated that it has no information indicating that Armenia has been approached with such a proposal or involved in any related discussions.
Consequently, Armenia’s inclusion in a provisional and largely unexplained list has been presented without justification as evidence of a plan to establish a migrant hub in the country.
(Updated)
P.S. Later, Euronews also reported on the issue, stating that Italy is preparing to propose the establishment of migrant return hubs in safe third countries under the “Albanian model.” In the Euronews report, Armenia, together with several other countries, is identified as a potential candidate included in the provisional list. However, the outlet does not report any discussions with Armenia or any agreement involving the country. Instead, the article identifies Uganda as the most likely location for such a hub.
Hasmik Hambardzumyan
