ECRE’s assessment of latest developments in EU policy and law of returns.
Since 2015 the European Commission and Member States have put considerable efforts into making returns
more “effective”, defined as increasing the number of irregularly-staying third-country nationals returned to
a third country from the European Union (EU). The recent push for higher return rates from policy makers
was caused by the higher than usual number of people arriving irregularly in 2015, a number which has since
dramatically decreased. Despite this decrease, return remains a focus, with the trend for ever more restrictive
policies both towards individuals and in relations with third countries.