Eurostat reported an 8% year-on-year increase in orders for non-EU citizens to leave an EU country during the first quarter of 2026. France, Germany and Spain recorded the largest numbers of orders in the release.
The numbers describe administrative decisions, not completed removals. A person may appeal, receive a different status, leave voluntarily, be returned later or remain while the decision is reviewed.
Read the categories carefully
Return statistics can include people ordered to leave after a rejected application, an expired permission or another finding that they have no right to stay. They do not by themselves describe the reasons for each case or the person's legal options.
The EU's new return framework is being implemented alongside the Pact on Migration and Asylum. National authorities must still follow procedural safeguards, including access to review and the principle of non-refoulement.
Primary record