In the fourth quarter of 2024, 28.630 persons were returned to third countries following an order to leave an EU country
According to recent data released by Eurostat, 124.935 non-EU citizens were ordered to leave an EU country, and 28.630 persons were returned to third countries following an order to leave. When compared with the same quarter of 2023, the number of non-EU citizens ordered to leave went up by 16.3%, while the number of people returned to third countries increased by 24.3%.
On 31 March 2025, Eurostat published quarterly statistics regarding the returns of irregular migrants, including quarterly statistics on non-EU citizens who were ordered to leave the territory of an EU country and those who were effectively returned following an order to leave.
Statistics show amongst others that:
- In Q4 2024, the total number of non-EU citizens ordered to leave the territory of an EU country was 124.935, an increase of 11.5% compared with the previous quarter, and an increase of 16.3% compared with Q4 2023. Among the EU countries, France reported the largest number of persons ordered to leave (25,5%), followed by Spain (14,9%) and Germany (12,1%). In Belgium, 6.765 persons were ordered to leave the territory in Q4 2024.
- In Q4 2024, the top 5 countries of citizenship of third-country nationals ordered to leave were Algeria, followed by Syria, Morocco, Afghanistan and Turkey.
- In Q4 2024, 28.630 non-EU citizens who received an order to leave an EU country were effectively returned to a third country i.e. outside of the EU. This represents an increase of 24.3% compared with the same quarter of 2023. Germany (21.6% of total returns a third country), France (12.9%) and Sweden (9.1%) reported the highest numbers of third-country nationals returned outside of the EU in Q4 2024, accounting for 43.6% of the total number of returns. Belgium reported 655 persons returned to a third country in Q4 2024.
- Georgians were the top non-EU citizens returned outside the EU in Q4 2024, followed by Turks, Albanians, Moroccans and Moldovans.
- More than half of returns (57.1%) to a third country concerned people who left the territory voluntarily, while 42.9% concerned forced returns. However, the proportion of voluntary returns versus enforced returns varies significantly among the EU countries. In Romania and Italy all the returns reported were enforced, while in Estonia, Latvia, Denmark and Lithuania, more than 90% of reported returns were recorded as voluntary.
For more information, please read the press release from Eurostat. For further details, please read Statistics explained.