Q1 2024: migrants ordered to leave down by 2%

In the first quarter of 2024, 103 515 non-EU citizens were ordered to leave an EU country, and 30 570 were returned to another country following an order to leave.

Compared with the same quarter of 2023, the number of non-EU citizens ordered to leave dropped by 7%, while the number of people returned to another country increased by 11%. 

In comparison with the previous quarter (fourth quarter of 2023), the number of orders to leave decreased by 2%, while the number of returns went up by 6%.

The majority (85%) of those returned in the first quarter of 2024 following an order to leave were returned to countries outside the EU.
 

Source datasets: migr_eiord1 and migr_eirtn1

Among non-EU citizens ordered to leave the territory of an EU country in this period, Algerian and Moroccan citizens had the largest share of the total, each with 7%, followed by Turks (6%) and Syrians and Georgians (each 5%). Among those returned to another country, most were citizens of Georgia (9%), followed by Albania and Türkiye (each 6%) and Colombia, Morocco, Algeria and Syria (each 4%). 

Looking at national data, the highest numbers of non-EU citizens ordered to leave the territory of an EU country were recorded in France (34 190), Germany (15 400) and Belgium (6 965).

France (4 205), Germany (3 950), and Sweden (3 135) recorded the highest number of people returned to another country.
 

Source datasets: migr_eiord1 and migr_eirtn1