Frontex supports return of 215,000 people from EU since 2022

BRUSSELS, 7th September, 2026 (WAM) -- The European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex) today announced that it assisted European Union Member States in returning over 33,000 people to non-EU countries in the first half of 2026, compared to roughly 30,000 during the same period last year. The agency explained that around two-thirds of the returns were voluntary, accounting for nearly 21,000 individuals, compared to about 19,000 a year earlier. It noted that all supported operations rely on enforceable decisions requiring the individuals concerned to leave the Union after exhausting legal avenues to stay. This brings the total number of people Frontex has helped return since 2022 to around 215,000. The agency stated that nearly 14,000 people registered to receive reintegration assistance during the first half of 2026, compared to about 8,000 in the same period of 2025, with more than 80 percent returning voluntarily. Frontex Executive Director Hans Leijtens stressed that return operations must be conducted "legally, safely and with dignity," with a growing emphasis on helping individuals return voluntarily and reintegrate into their home countries. Germany, France, Cyprus, Belgium and Sweden led EU countries in the number of Frontex-supported returns from January to June. The rise in returns coincided with the European Parliament and the EU Council agreeing in June on new rules for a common European return system, while the European Commission is expected to propose strengthening Frontex's mandates in this field during the autumn.