New quarterly figures published by the European Union show that migrant deportations continue to edge upward across the bloc. At the same time, authorities are issuing significantly fewer return orders, with the total dropping to a level not seen in years.
In the first three months of 2026, 34,550 migrants with deportation orders were returned to their countries of origin—2% more than in the previous quarter and 8.1% more than in the same period last year. The highest number of deportations and voluntary returns were implemented by Germany (7,300), France (3,775), and Poland (2,660).
At the same time, over 108,000 non-EU citizens have been issued return orders during these months—a third of them, nearly 35,000 in France alone—which is 7.9% less than in the previous quarter and a decline of 12.8% compared to the first quarter of 2025. This is also the lowest number in new deportation orders since late 2023.
This steady decline in return orders can be attributed to two factors, primarily: an increasing number of refusals to enter at the borders (up by 7% last year) and a decline in the number of illegal migrants found on EU territory, which has fallen by over 21% in 2025.
The question is whether these trends will continue. Although the EU has just adopted the Returns Regulation, which is expected to make deporting illegal migrants easier, the Migration Pact has also come into force, which makes it much harder for member states to turn back migrants at the border.
Moreover, the new data also shows that the groups primarily meant to be deported are not the ones who end up actually leaving the EU.
In the first quarter of 2026, most migrants who were returned were citizens of Turkey (3,555), Georgia (2,060), and Albania (2,050). In contrast, most deportation orders were issued to Algerians (11,105), Moroccans (6,435), and Syrians (5,355). It’s clear that despite the slightly better numbers, authorities still fall short on returning the most problematic groups, which also appear to be better at evading deportations.
This new quarterly data puts the deportation rate at 31.9%—a nearly 4-point increase compared to the overall deportation rate for the whole of 2025, which was only 28%.
While this is a modest success, it still means that the EU fails to implement over two-thirds of deportation orders, which is the main reason the Returns Regulation was voted into law. Whether it will work remains to be seen.
