According to the European Union’s statistical office, Eurostat, statistics regarding third-country nationals at the EU’s external borders were released on Wednesday, showing several key shifts compared to 2024.
In 2025, authorities rejected entry for 132,600 third-country nationals at an EU external border. This figure represents a 7.1 percent increase compared to the 123,835 individuals rejected in the previous year.
Concerning residency statuses, the number of people found to be illegally staying within an EU member state decreased significantly. The count fell by 21.7 percent, reaching 719,395 people in 2025, down from 918,525 in 2024.
Furthermore, measures related to leaving the EU also saw changes. In 2025, deportation orders were issued to 491,950 third-country nationals, a notable rise of 5.8 percent compared to 464,985 in 2024. Of these, 135,460 individuals were ultimately returned to a non-EU third country, marking a substantial 20.9 percent increase from the 112,040 returned in 2024.
Analyzing the return data, Germany reported the highest number of third-country nationals repatriated to a third country (29,295), followed by France (14,940) and Sweden (11,250). Among the nationalities returned, the largest groups hailed from Turkey (13,405), Georgia (10,475), Syria (8,370), and Albania (8,020).
