Fewer removal orders and more departures: the EU steps up the pace of migrant returns

Brussels – Between April and June, the number of removal orders served on third-country nationals fell to 110,335, representing a decrease of 3.9 per cent compared with the first quarter and 12.0 per cent year-on-year. This is according to Eurostat, the EU Statistical Office, with regard to data for the second quarter of 2026, which reveal a significant shift in the management of irregular migrants within the European Union. 

At the same time, there has been a sharp rise in actual departures: returns to third countries rose to 36,825, marking an increase of 5.9 per cent on the previous quarter and 9.7 per cent compared with the same period in 2025. If transfers and readmissions within the Schengen area are also taken into account, the total number of returns stands at 39,445, with departures outside the EU accounting for 93.4 per cent of the total. 

The picture across the continent remains, however, characterised by significant differences between Member States. In terms of expulsion orders issued, France remains the most active country with 32,420 orders, accounting for 29.4 per cent of the European total, followed by Portugal with 11,190 orders, Germany with 8,160 and Italy with 4,675. The ranking is reversed, however, when considering the operational capacity to carry out expulsions. In this regard, Germany leads the EU with 8,400 actual returns to third countries, ahead of France with 3,825 and Poland with 3,005. 

As regards the nationalities of those subject to removal orders, the highest figures relate to Algerian nationals, with 10,390 orders, Moroccans, with 6,200, and Syrians, with 5,180. The countries are the same as in the first quarter of 2026. Looking instead at the removals actually carried out, the largest groups are Turks, numbering 3,765, Syrians (2,770), and Georgians (2,140), with a marked surge in the number of Ukrainian nationals returning – up by 56.8 per cent – and Syrians, up by 37.8 per cent compared with the first quarter. 

Across the EU as a whole, 60.8 per cent of returns are voluntary, while forced departures account for 39.2 per cent of the total. The choice between these two options, however, reflects opposing national approaches. Countries such as Latvia, Lithuania, and Slovenia record voluntary return rates of over 90 per cent, while at the opposite end of the scale, Denmark, at 81.6 per cent, and Italy, at 75.3 per cent, have the highest rates of forced removals in the entire EU. Furthermore, 74.0 per cent of those returned to third countries received some form of assistance or material support.

As regards unaccompanied minors, there were 375 expulsion orders, mainly in the Netherlands, while the number of actual deportations to third countries stood at 30.