The 27 EU leaders are expected to request a common approach to returns from the Commission and the Council at the upcoming Summit to be held in Brussels on Oct 17 and 18.
In particular, as the first draft made available to To Vima points out, the European Council will call for “decisive action at all levels to increase and accelerate returns from the European Union” and for “the Commission and the Council to quickly present a new common approach on returns.”
14 Member States including Germany, France, Italy and Greece have called for faster return procedures in a letter to the European Commission, noting that those who do not have the right to remain must be held accountable and that there must be a new legal basis defining their obligations and duties and penalizing the failure to cooperate.
According to Eurostat data, in the second quarter of 2024, 96 115 third-country nationals were ordered to leave an EU country and 25 285 people returned to third countries after being ordered to do so.
Compared to the first quarter of 2024, the number of orders to leave an EU country was down by 7%, while the number of returns to third countries fell by 3.9%. At the same time, the number of non-EU citizens who were ordered to leave fell by 10%, while the number of people who returned to third countries was up 21.3% compared to the same quarter in 2023. The EU member states which requested the largest number of third-country nationals to leave their territory were—in order—France (31,195), Germany (12,885) and Greece (6,555).
The European Council is expected to reaffirm its commitment to tackling the weaponization of migrants for political aims and stress that new ways of preventing and dealing with irregular migration in line with international law need to be explored.
The draft conclusions include a specific reference to “safe and legal” routes as “the key to regular migration.”
The “27” are also expected to condemn Iran’s attacks on Israel and express their “deepest concern” over “the dramatic military escalation in the Middle East and the danger it poses to the entire region.”
At the same time, the European Council will call on all parties to show maximum restraint, to bring an end to all hostilities, and to fully respect international law, including international humanitarian law, while noting that the European Union is fully committed to helping de-escalate the situation and reduce tensions.
Consultations are ongoing and it is possible that the text of the conclusions may be amended.
