EU, increase in pushbacks and a sharp fall in the number of irregular migrants

Brussels – The European Union is turning away more migrants. According to the latest report by Eurostat, the Statistical Office of the European Union, in 2025, at the EU’s external borders, 132,600 non-EU nationals were refused entry, representing a 7.1 per cent increase from 123,835 in 2024.

The breakdown of refusals of entry shows Poland leading the way, with 28,960 refusals (21.8 per cent of the EU total), followed by France (12,210, 9.2 per cent), Croatia (12,090, 9.1 per cent), and Spain (10,610, 8 per cent). Italy ranks fifth—after Romania (7.6 per cent, 10,135 people)—with 6.7 per cent, totalling 8,875 people turned away.

When analysing the nationalities of those denied access, Ukrainian citizens are the largest group, with 26,970 cases; followed by citizens of Albania (12,430), Moldova (11,660), Colombia (6,565), Turkey (5,635), and Serbia (5,440).

Types of borders and Italy’s maritime supremacy

Refusals of entry at land borders account for the majority of cases (53.9 per cent of the total). The highest figures were recorded in Poland (26,355), Croatia (11,660), and Romania (9,185). Next come airports, which account for 43.1 per cent of refusals. France has the highest number of refusals at airports (10,080), followed by Spain (9,980) and Germany (7,465). Finally, maritime borders account for 3.0 per cent of the EU total. In this area, however, Italy holds the grim European record for refusals of entry by sea, with 1,405 cases recorded in 2025, followed by France (1,035) and Greece (405).

Customs and border authorities apply strict criteria for entry. In 2025, the main reason for refusal was failure to justify the purpose and conditions of the stay (30.3 per cent of cases). Other significant reasons included exceeding the 3-month stay limit within a 6-month period (16.9 per cent) and the absence of a valid visa or residence permit (15.3 per cent).

The decline in the number of irregular migrants, expulsion orders and repatriations

The number of people found to be residing illegally in the EU fell to 719,395, a sharp 21.7 per cent drop compared with 2024. In terms of nationality, the largest group of people residing illegally consists of Algerian nationals (70,905, an increase of 22 per cent compared to 2024), followed by Afghans (42,635, a 29 per cent decrease), Moroccans (39,030, a 20.6 per cent decrease) and Ukrainians (36,800, a 17.7 per cent decrease).

In addition to border controls, administrative measures within the EU have seen an increase in the number of removal orders. In 2025, there were 491,950 third-country nationals ordered to leave EU territory, a 5.8 per cent increase from 464,985 in 2024. France topped this ranking with 137,550 orders issued (28 per cent of the EU total), followed by Germany (55,240, 11.2 per cent) and Spain (53,700, 10.9 per cent). Italy issued 21,295 orders, accounting for 4 per cent. The nationals most affected by these measures were those from Algeria (45,725), Morocco (29,030), and Turkey (24,780). In terms of enforcement, actual returns to third countries jumped to 135,460, a 20.9 per cent year-on-year increase. Germany had the highest number of completed returns (29,295), followed by France (14,940) and Sweden (11,250). Italy recorded 4,780. Turkish (13,405) and Georgian (10,475) nationals accounted for the highest number of documented returns. A significant figure concerns the methods of return: in 2025, while 59.4 per cent of returns in the EU were voluntary, Italy was the only Member State to report exclusively forced returns.