EU countries returned 36,825 people to non-EU countries in the second quarter of 2026, up 9.7% on the same period a year earlier.
A total of 110,335 non-EU citizens were issued with orders to leave an EU country between April and June 2026, Eurostat reported on Wednesday.
That was 12.0% fewer than in the second quarter of 2025.
Compared with the first quarter of 2026, the number of people ordered to leave fell by 3.9%, while returns to so-called “third countries” — nations outside the EU — rose by 5.9%.
Among those ordered to leave in the quarter, the largest groups were citizens of Algeria (10,390), Morocco (6,200) and Syria (5,180).
Among those returned, the biggest groups were citizens of Turkey (3,765), Syria (2,770) and Georgia (2,140).
France recorded most orders to leave
France recorded the highest number of non-EU citizens ordered to leave in the second quarter of 2026, with 32,420, followed by Portugal (11,190) and Germany (8,160).
Germany recorded the highest number of people returned to third countries in the same period, with 8,400, followed by France (3,825) and Poland (3,005).
