As Britain grapples with its post-Brexit migration challenges, Germany is surging ahead in repatriating irregular migrants. Berlin expelled nearly 12,000 non-EU citizens in the third quarter of 2025 alone – a stark demonstration of enforcement muscle that outpaces the UK and highlights the EU‘s intensifying deportation drive.

Fresh Eurostat data reveals a 19% spike in effective returns across the 27-member bloc, with nearly 42,000 individuals sent back between July and September 2025, up from 35,000 in the same period last year. Germany, Europe’s economic powerhouse, tripled its figures year-over-year, catapulting it past France, which managed just under 5,000 returns. This places Berlin at the forefront of a continent-wide push to enforce borders amid rising political pressure on migration.

The vast majority – 82% – of these expulsions saw migrants leaving the EU entirely, while 18% were redirected to other member states. Neighbouring Belgium echoed Germany‘s momentum, nearly doubling its returns from 730 to 1,210, signalling a regional hardening of policies.

Algerians topped the list of those ordered to leave, with 12,325 individuals affected, followed by Moroccans at 6,670. Notable quarterly increases in actual returns included Turkish citizens (up 15%), Syrians (9%), Russians (7%), Georgians (5%), and Albanians (2%). These figures underscore the EU’s focus on high-volume nationalities amid ongoing geopolitical tensions.

However, the data exposes a gritty underbelly: 40% of returns were “forced,” involving compulsion rather than voluntary compliance.

Denmark led with a 91% forced rate, trailed by Romania (82%), Bulgaria (80%), and Italy (a reported 100%, though experts caution this may stem from inconsistent reporting across fragmented EU systems). To ease the process, 77% of returns included financial aid, such as ticket purchases or cash stipends upon departure or arrival.

Despite the uptick, a yawning gap persists between ambition and execution. Only 41,890 returns—roughly 36% of issued repatriation orders—were actually carried out.

France, issuing the most orders at nearly 34,000, executed just 14%, mirroring low rates in Greece and Spain (both 13%). Barriers include unverified origins, health concerns, or protections for unaccompanied minors, which often delay or halt proceedings.

This inefficiency has spurred action. In December 2025, EU nations greenlit draft legislation to accelerate returns via bilateral pacts with third countries, establishing offshore “return hubs” for processing asylum claims and status checks.

Proponents argue it will streamline operations, but human rights groups condemn the move as a recipe for illegal pushbacks and arbitrary detentions, potentially violating international norms by outsourcing accountability.

Germany’s aggressive stance contrasts sharply with the UK’s slower repatriation rates, where political debates over Rwanda deportation schemes have yielded minimal results.

As EU leaders ramp up, critics warn of humanitarian costs, but the numbers speak volumes: enforcement is tightening, and Berlin appears to be setting the pace.