Brussels: The European Commission expects a sharp rise in deportations from the European Union over the past year, German Press Agency (dpa) reported, quoting EU Migration Commissioner Magnus Brunner. "The deportation rate rose from 19 per cent in 2023 to 27 per cent in the first three quarters of 2025. This means we are likely to reach the highest deportation rate since 2019 this year," Brunner told the Sunday edition of the German newspaper Welt. However, he added that this was "still far from sufficient."

According to Emirates News Agency, Brunner emphasized the need to combat illegal migration on all fronts. This includes consistently deporting those who have lost the right to remain in the EU and swiftly rejecting people with little prospect of receiving asylum. He also stressed the importance of close cooperation with third countries to prevent people from embarking on dangerous migration routes.

EU member states reached significant agreements on key aspects of migration policy at the beginning of December in Brussels. Among other measures, they agreed to increase pressure on rejected asylum seekers and make deportation procedures more efficient. The creation of return centres in third countries outside the EU is also set to be allowed in the future.