In the fourth quarter of 2024, 124.935 people without citizenship of a European Union country were ordered to leave the Union, and 28.630 people were deported to third countries in accordance with that order, the European statistical office Eurostat announced.
The number of repatriation decisions was reportedly 11,5 percent higher than in the third quarter of last year, and the number of completed repatriations was 3,3 percent higher.
Compared to the fourth quarter of 2023, the number of expulsion orders for EU stateless persons was 16,3 percent higher, and the number of repatriations to third countries was 24,3 percent higher.
The most repatriation decisions were made in France (31.880), followed by Spain (18.645) and Germany (15.135). At the same time, the most such decisions were implemented in practice by Germany with 6.170, followed by France and Sweden with 3.705 and 2.600 people, respectively, who were deported to third countries.
The fewest number of expulsion orders for foreign nationals to their home countries in the EU were issued in Malta (255), followed by Estonia, Slovenia, Portugal and Slovakia, with less than 200.
Among foreign citizens who had to leave the EU territory, the most, according to Eurostat, were Algerians (11.362), Syrians (8.674) and Moroccans (8.561).
However, among those who were actually returned to their home countries, the largest number of citizens were from Georgia (3.351), Turkey (2.492) and Albania (1.982).
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