About 1.08 million third-country nationals were found to be staying illegally in EU Member States in 2022, a 59% increase compared with 2021, when 679,730 were recorded, according to data released by Eurostat on Friday.
The number of non-EU citizens ordered to leave Member States, 422,400, was 23% higher than in 2021.
The trend was somewhat different in Belgium, where the number of illegal residents reported for last year, 10,965, was similar to the 2021 figure of 10,885, and much lower than previous years: 19,145 in 2018, 17,585 in 2019, and 11,495 in 2020.
The number of non-EU citizens found to be residing illegally in the Union has varied greatly from year to year, according to Eurostat figures. After a peak in 2015, there were 563,825 third-country nationals staying illegally in the 27.
In 2018, there were 572,195, while the number increased to 627,900 in 2019, dropped to 557,455 in 2020, then rose again to 679,730 in 2021.
Last year the number shot up to 1,081,200, a major increase, for which Eurostat did not provide any explanation. The majority (52%) were concentrated in three countries: Hungary (222,520), Germany (198,310) and Italy (138,420).
A total of 422,400 persons were ordered to leave EU Member States last year, up from 342,100 in 2021. France sent home the highest number - 135,650 - while Belgium reported 19,275.
The highest number of nationals ordered to leave the Union were Algerians (33,535), followed by Moroccans (30,510) and Pakistanis (25,280).
