In the second quarter of 2024, European Union (EU) countries issued 96,115 removal orders to non-EU citizens, marking a seven percent decline from the first quarter of the year and a ten percent drop compared to the same period in 2023. Citizens of Algeria and Morocco were the most affected, each representing seven percent of the total, followed by Turkish and Syrian nationals at six percent.
A total of 25,285 individuals returned to their home countries after receiving removal orders during this period. While this represented a 3.9 percent decrease from the first quarter, it marked a significant 21.3 percent increase from Q2 2023. Georgian nationals made up the largest share of returns at ten percent, followed by Albanian citizens (eight percent) and Turkish nationals (seven percent).
France issued the most removal orders, with 31,195 non-EU citizens ordered to leave, followed by Germany (12,885) and Greece (6,555). In terms of returns, France also led with 3,555 individuals, followed by Germany with 2,830 and Sweden with 2,360.
Compared to the third quarter of 2023, when 107,135 non-EU citizens were ordered to leave, the overall trend shows a steady decline in removal orders but a significant rise in returns, especially among Georgian, Moroccan, and Algerian nationals.
