33,000 repatriations in the first six months of 2026, but it’s not enough. Frontex calls for further strengthening of the system

Brussels – Arrivals are falling, returns are rising. The first half of 2026 marks the real start of a hardline approach to migration management in the EU. Illegal crossings of the external borders totalled 49,000, down by 37 per cent compared with the first six months of 2025. Returns, on the other hand, totalled 33,000, around 3,000 more than in the same period last year. This is according to the latest figures from Frontex, the European Border and Coast Guard Agency, which attributes this result to the new European rules and to strengthened cooperation with countries of origin and transit along migration routes. The Agency also clarifies that “around two-thirds of migrants are returned voluntarily.” 

This process was facilitated by some 21,000 migrants who voluntarily returned to their country of origin in the first half of 2026. Each repatriation means that “the person has exhausted their legal options for remaining in the EU.” According to Frontex, voluntary repatriations are “generally more cost-effective than forced ones,” as they require fewer specialist staff. 

“Return is what lends credibility to the entire migration system. If someone does not have the right to stay, they should be returned. Otherwise, the system lets down those who genuinely need protection,” explains Hans Leijtens, Executive Director of Frontex. 

In the statement, Frontex also outlines the EU’s next steps: “It is expected that in the autumn, the Commission will propose a further strengthening of Frontex’s mandate on returns, including its support for Member States”. This is confirmed by the European Commissioner for Home Affairs and Migration, Magnus Brunner, who clarifies that the figures for the first half of the year represent “a good example of effective European cooperation,” but “this figure must increase dramatically.” 

Repatriation, including forced repatriation, yes, but with an eye on the emissions from return flights. As air travel accounts for the vast majority of repatriation operations, Frontex “gives priority to scheduled flights over charter flights whenever this is operationally possible.” From 2023, an agreement with one of Europe’s leading airlines stipulates that a share of the revenue generated by the airline from flights funded by Frontex will be allocated to the purchase of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and other environmental initiatives. 

In the first half of 2026, the agreement enabled the purchase of over 90 tonnes of SAF to be funded, resulting in an estimated reduction of around 313 tonnes of CO₂ when taking into account the fuel’s entire life cycle, from production to combustion.