In the second quarter of 2022, there were 96 550 non-EU citizens ordered to leave an EU Member State, and a total of 23 110 were returned to another country (including the other EU Member States) following an order to leave. In both these cases, this represents a 16% increase in absolute numbers compared with the previous quarter.
Compared with the same quarter of 2021, the number of non-EU citizens ordered to leave the territory of EU Member States rose by 15% and the number of people returned to another country increased by 11%, Eurostat reports.
France: highest number of non-EU citizens ordered to leave
Among the EU Member States, France reported the largest number of non-EU citizens ordered to leave its territory in the second quarter of 2022: 33 450 people, representing more than one-third of the total (35%). France was followed by Greece (8 750), Germany (8 275), Italy (6 020) and Austria (5 385).
Compared with the previous quarter, Italy was the EU Member State that registered the highest increase in the number of people ordered to leave (+2 215%), jumping from 260 in the first quarter of 2022 to 6020. Croatia also almost doubled in the same period, from 2 675 to 4 830.
In terms of citizenships of the people ordered to leave an EU Member State territory, Algerians (8 170) represented the biggest share of the total (8.5%), followed by Moroccans (7 235), Albanians (6 640) and Pakistanis (6 260). Tunisians (5 630) came next on the list, followed by Bangladeshis (3 990), Georgians (3 690), Turks (3 425), Indians (3 135) and Iraqis (2 940).
16% of total returns in the EU reported by France
In the case of non-EU citizens returned to another country following an order to leave, France also reported the largest number of non-EU citizens returned in the second quarter of 2022 (3 590; 16% of the total of returns), followed by Germany (2 765; 12%), Sweden (2 380; 10%), Greece (1 770; 8%) and Austria (1 635; 7%).
Looking at the first quarter of 2022, Italy registered the highest increase in relative terms (1 000%) in the second quarter, from 60 returns to 660.
Albanians (2 650) topped the list of non-EU citizens who returned to another country in the second quarter of 2022, followed by Georgians (2 030), Russians (1 165), Turks (1 055), Ukrainians (840), Serbians (800), Moroccans (790), Algerians (745), Moldovans (700) and Iraqis (660).
320 unaccompanied minors ordered to leave and 40 returned following order to leave
According to available Eurostat data, in the second quarter of 2022, 320 unaccompanied minors from non-EU Member States were ordered to leave an EU territory, and another 40 returned following an order to leave.
