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Migration and Flight: EU Commissioner Brunner Sees Decline in Irregular Entries
🇩🇪 Germany /Culture & Society

Migration and Flight: EU Commissioner Brunner Sees Decline in Irregular Entries

From Die Zeit · () German

Translated from German, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources New plan
  • EU Commissioner Magnus Brunner reports a significant decrease in irregular arrivals at EU borders.
  • He attributes the decline to EU policies and measures in transit countries, noting a 55% drop over two years.
  • Brunner defended plans for return centers for rejected asylum seekers, despite criticism from human rights groups.

EU Commissioner for Home Affairs and Migration, Magnus Brunner, has observed a notable reduction in the number of individuals arriving irregularly in the European Union. This decrease is occurring even before the new European asylum system officially takes effect.

The number of irregularly entering immigrants in Europe has fallen again.

— Magnus BrunnerEU Commissioner Magnus Brunner describing the trend in irregular migration.

Brunner stated in an interview that irregular entries have fallen by 55 percent over the past two years. He highlighted even steeper declines on specific routes, such as the Western Balkans, where the reduction has reached 90 percent in three years. Between January and April 2026, attempts to enter the EU from Turkey to the Greek islands without valid documents were down by approximately two-thirds compared to the same period last year. This follows a 30 percent decrease in irregular immigration attempts in the first quarter of 2025.

This is still far too little.

— Magnus BrunnerMagnus Brunner commenting on the current rate of returns for rejected asylum seekers.

Experts suggest that the decline is a result of both EU policies and actions taken in transit countries like Libya and Tunisia. Changes in migration conditions within some countries of origin are also cited as contributing factors. Brunner also reported initial successes in returning rejected asylum seekers to their home countries, with the rate increasing from 21 percent to nearly 30 percent last year, though he stressed this is still insufficient.

up to prison, up to entry bans for the future.

— Magnus BrunnerMagnus Brunner outlining potential consequences for ignoring return orders.

Brunner indicated that individuals ignoring return orders could face consequences such as imprisonment or future entry bans. He also plans to expand cooperation with third countries, including the establishment of "return centers" outside the EU. These centers would be for deporting rejected asylum seekers who cannot be returned to their home countries. Human rights organizations and church associations have criticized these plans, fearing a "criminalization of migration" and potential legal gray areas. Brunner, however, dismissed these concerns, stating that cooperation with organizations like the UN Refugee Agency would occur in these centers.

criminalization of migration

— Human rights organizations and church associationsThe criticism leveled by human rights and church groups against the planned asylum law tightening and deportation centers.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Die Zeit in German. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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