EU deportations surge, yet officials remain unhappy with results
A female migrant crosses the border in Poland (illustrative photo: Getty Images)
The European Commission is calling for stricter deportation rules across the EU, despite a significant rise in the number of migrants returning to their home countries in recent years, according to DW.
EU Migration Commissioner Magnus Brunner believes that deportation rules need to be tightened, as the current increase in departures among migrants remains insufficient.
In 2025, the EU reportedly returned 28% of migrants ordered to leave the bloc, the highest rate in the past decade.
Last year, more than 491,000 people were subject to repatriation, with around 135,000 actually deported. In 2022, the return rate stood at 16%.
Speaking about deportations, Brunner said the increase in returns is due, among other factors, to consistent actions by member states, greater stability in some countries of origin, and improvements in information systems.
"However, we cannot be satisfied with the number of deportations last year. The old rules for returning irregular migrants in the EU simply do not work efficiently enough," the commissioner stressed.
He added that it is therefore important to adopt a new return regulation, which the European Commission submitted last March for a vote in the European Parliament and among the 27 member states.
Brunner said the new regulation introduces stricter rules for offenders, clearer, more binding obligations for those subject to deportation decisions, and greater efficiency in cooperation among member states.
Among other provisions, the regulation would allow individuals who are denied protection and required to leave to be held in detention for longer periods before deportation.
It would also make it possible to deport asylum seekers to so-called "return hubs" in countries outside the EU.
In addition, recent reports indicated a decline in migration to Europe, with new asylum applications falling by 18%. Experts attribute this to both stricter policies and shifts in migrants' countries of origin.
At the same time, fewer people are seeking to relocate to the United States, despite its status as a top destination for quality of life.
