Returns of irregular migrants - quarterly statistics

Data extracted on 10 December 2025

Planned article update: March 2026

Highlights

115 440 third-country nationals were ordered to leave the territory of an EU country in the third quarter of 2025; a decrease of 0.9% compared with the previous quarter, and an increase of 2.7% compared with the same quarter of 2024.

In the third quarter of 2025, 34 155 persons were returned to third countries; an increase of 5.0% compared with the previous quarter, and an increase of 14.6% compared with the same quarter of 2024.

This article presents the latest developments for two indicators on the enforcement of immigration legislation: quarterly statistics on third-country nationals who were ordered to leave the territory of an EU country and those who were effectively returned following an order to leave.

Third-country nationals ordered to leave

In the third quarter of 2025, the total number of third-country nationals ordered to leave the territory of an EU country was 115 440 (Figure 1). This represents a decrease (-0.9%) in comparison with the previous quarter and an increase (2.7%) compared to the same period of 2024. Among the EU countries, France reported the largest number of persons ordered to leave (33 760), followed by Germany (12 510) and Greece (10 175). These three EU countries altogether accounted for nearly half (48.9%) of all third-country nationals ordered to leave during the third quarter of 2025.

Figure 1

In Q3 2025, the top five countries of citizenship of third-country nationals ordered to leave (Figure 2) were Algeria (12 325, 10.7% of the total), followed by Morocco (6 670, 5.8%), Türkiye (6 350, 5.5%), Afghanistan (5 280, 4.6%), and Tunisia (4 080, 3.5%).

Figure 2

Compared with Q2 2025, among these top five countries, an increase was observed in the number of orders to leave for citizens of Afghanistan (+27.0%), Algeria (+25.7%), Tunisia (+3.2%) and Türkiye (+0.6%), while there was a decrease for Morocco (-5.9%).

Returns of third-country nationals

In Q3 2025, 34 155 third-country nationals who received an order to leave an EU country were effectively returned to a third country. This represented an increase of 5.0% compared with the previous quarter (Figure 3). Germany (7 190, 21.1% of total returns to third countries), France (3 760, 11.0%) and Cyprus (3 000, 8.8%) reported the highest numbers, accounting for 40.9% of the total number of returns to a third country. In Q3 2025, the returns to third countries represented 81.5% of total returns, which also include readmissions between EU/Schengen associated countries. This share of returns to third countries decreased in comparison to the previous period (88.9%).

Figure 3

Turks (3 625) were the top third-country citizenship returned outside the EU in the third quarter of 2025, followed by Georgians (2 835), Albanians (2 055), Syrians (2 020) and Russians (1 580) (Figure 4).

Figure 4

Compared with Q2 2025, there was an increase in the returns to a third country for citizens of Türkiye (+15.3%), Syria (+9.1%), Russia (+6.7%), Georgia (+4.8%) and Albania (+2.3%).

Types of returns and assistance received

At the EU level, over half of returns to a third country (60.4%) concerned individuals who voluntarily left the territory, while 39.6% were forced returns (Figure 5). However, the proportion of voluntary versus enforced returns varies significantly among EU countries. In Q3 2025, only Italy reported forced returns, whereas in Czechia, Latvia, and Lithuania, more than 90% of returns were reported as voluntary.

Figure 5

In Q3 2025, 77.3% of returns to a third country were assisted, (i.e. included some kind of material or other support for the returnee), while 22.7% were non-assisted (Figure 6). The proportion of assisted versus non-assisted returns varies significantly among countries. In Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Spain, Italy, Cyprus, Portugal, and Romania, all reported returns of third-country nationals outside the EU or Schengen associated countries were assisted. In contrast, over 90% of third-country nationals returns from Latvia and Lithuania were non-assisted.

Figure 6

Unaccompanied minors ordered to leave the EU and those returned following an order to leave

In Q3 2025, 825 orders to leave an EU country were issued to unaccompanied minors, reflecting a 67.3% increase compared to the previous quarter. Greece (620), followed by the Netherlands (95) and Croatia (70), issued the highest number of orders to unaccompanied minors to leave the EU territory (Figure 7). Three out of four (75.0%) of these orders concerned citizens from Egypt (255), Afghanistan (210), Somalia (85) and Türkiye (60).

Figure 7

In Q3 2025, 60 unaccompanied minors who received an order to leave an EU country were returned to a third country. Croatia (30), Greece (10), and Austria, Cyprus, Germany, and Sweden (5 each) reported the highest number of unaccompanied minors returned following an order to leave their territory. The unaccompanied minors returned to a third country were mainly from Türkiye (30), Syria (10), and Armenia, Albania and Iraq (5 each).

Data sources

Statistics on the enforcement of immigration legislation are based on administrative data sources provided by national authorities with quarterly frequency (third-country nationals ordered to leave and returned following an order to leave, including a breakdown of unaccompanied minors) and annual frequency (third-country nationals refused entry, found to be illegally present, ordered to leave, and returned following an order to leave).

The compilation of these statistics is in line with the requirements of Regulation (EC) No 862/2007 concerning statistics on migration and international protection, as well as with the terms used by the Schengen Borders Code (Regulation (EU) No 2016/399).

Regarding data quality and comparability, the following aspects should be considered

The data collected refer to the number of persons, not the number of procedures
Time series began with the 2008 reference year for annual data and from 2021 for quarterly data
The number of persons returned in a given quarter shall not be directly related to the number of persons ordered to leave in the same reference period. For instance, someone may be ordered to leave in Q4 of year N but effectively returned in Q1 of year N+1, due to differences in national administrative procedures in migration law enforcement and methodological aspects related to data compilation in this area
The data presented in the text of this article have been rounded to the nearest five. Due to rounding, various totals may not match the sum of the values of their components (such as the sum of values for the EU countries)
Statistics on the enforcement of immigration legislation exclude outgoing asylum seekers who are transferred from one EU country to another under the mechanism established by the Dublin Regulation (Regulation (EC) No 1560/2003 and Regulation (EU) No 604/2013). These cases are covered by Dublin statistics

Limitations on data availability affecting the information presented in this article include

Spain: time series break due to the adoption of a broader definition of return decisions from Q2 2024
Italy: time series break due to a change in the data source from Q1 2025
Switzerland: orders to leave data are limited to those issued within the asylum procedure; data on returns include third-country nationals returned following an order to leave from both asylum and irregular migrants' procedures since 2023

Context

The enforcement of migration law refers to 2 main subjects: controlling the EU’s external borders and the management of unauthorised non-EU citizens found on the territory of an EU country. Control of the EU’s external borders constitutes one of the pillars for the creation of a freedom, security and justice area. The most noteworthy developments concern a harmonised set of rules governing the movement of persons across borders (the Schengen Borders Code published by Regulation (EU) No 2016/399); a comprehensive approach for European integrated management at the EU’s border and efficient and effective management of border crossing and EU returns policy, respecting fundamental rights, and safeguarding free movement, operated by the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Regulation (EU) No 2019/1896); an extensive package on automated border control was introduced (namely the Entry-Exit System established by (namely the Entry-Exist System established by the Regulation (EU) No 2017/2225 and Regulation (EU) No 2017/2226, and the European Traveler Information and Authorisation System established by Regulation (EU) No 2018/1240 and Regulation (EU) No 2018/1241).

The management of irregular migrant populations involves the finding of illegally present persons, the recognition of a decision of an order to leave and the effective return. The main legal instrument, the so-called Return Directive (Return Directive (2008/115/EC)), came into force at the end of 2010 establishing common standards for returning non-EU citizens illegally staying in the EU. The EU also aims to promote a more effective return system (Policy Document Towards an Operational Strategy for more Effective Returns - COM/2023/45 Final), aimed at achieving, as an operational goal, among others, the improvement of data and statistical evidence-based on return, building a more targeted, planned and efficient return policy, and a common operational response capability.

Several Schengen Area member countries have (temporarily reintroduced) the border control at internal borders pursuant to Article 25 and 28 et seq. of the Schengen Borders Code (with several reasons, for instance significant high pressure of irregular migration flows, smuggling and trafficking of human beings, secondary movements; organised criminal and terrorism threats; relevant events that could enhance migration flows and or criminal or terrorism threats).

Regarding measuring the enforcement of immigration legislation, Regulation (EC) No 2020/851 amended Regulation (EC) No 862/2007, established a framework for a quick response to changing needs regarding statistics on migration and international protection (in particular Articles 5 and 7). It also commits to data collection on a sub-annual basis in order to respond to the main needs for study, formulation and evaluation of migration and developing human-rights-based policies, and enhancing the knowledge of migration and international protection and migratory movements within European Union countries

Explore further

Database

Population and Social Conditions – Migration (migr) - Managed migration (migr_man), see:

Enforcement of Immigration Legislation (migr_eil)

Third-country nationals refused entry at the external borders - annual data (rounded) (migr_eirfs)

Third-country nationals found to be illegally present - annual data (rounded) (migr_eipre)

Third-country nationals ordered to leave - annual data (rounded) (migr_eiord)

Third-country nationals ordered to leave by citizenship, age and sex - quarterly data (rounded) (migr_eiord1)

Third-country unaccompanied minors ordered to leave, by citizenship, age and sex of the minor – quarterly data (rounded) (migr_eiord2)

Third-country nationals returned following an order to leave - annual data (rounded) (migr_eirtn)

Third-country nationals returned following an order to leave, by type of return, citizenship, country of destination, age and and sex – quarterly data (migr_eirtn1)

Third-country unaccompanied minors returned following an order to leave, by type of return, citizenship, country of destination, age and sex of the minor – quarterly data (rounded) (migr_eirtn2)

Third-country nationals who have left the territory by type of return and citizenship (migr_eirt_vol)

Third-country nationals who have left the territory by type of assistance received and citizenship (migr_eirt_ass)

Third-country nationals who have left the territory to a third country by type of agreement procedure and citizenship (migr_eirt_agr)

Third-country nationals who have left the territory to a third country by destination country and citizenship (migr_eirt_des)

Returns by type of return - % of total returns (migr_eilretpc)

Persons subject to immigration law enforcement - per thousand persons (migr_eilpop)

Thematic section

Managed migration

Methodology

Enforcement of Immigration Legislation (ESMS metadata file — migr_eil_esms)

External links

European Migration Network — Publications

Knowledge Centre on Migration and Demography

Legislation

Return legislation

Summaries of EU legislation: returning illegal immigrants — common standards and procedures

Policy Document Towards an operational strategy for more effective returns (COM/2023/45 final)

Legislation on migration and international protection statistics

Regulation (EC) No 862/2007 on Community statistics on migration and international protection (Articles 5 and 7)

Summaries of EU legislation: migration statistics

Other Enforcement Immigration Legislation