EU countries issue 6,200 departure orders to Moroccan nationals in Q2

Saturday 03 - 11:20

By: Azzat Manal

EU countries issue 6,200 departure orders to Moroccan nationals in Q2

EU member states issued 6,200 orders for Moroccan nationals to leave their territory during the second quarter of 2026, while 1,180 Moroccan citizens were effectively returned to a country outside the European Union, according to the latest Eurostat data.

The number of departure orders involving Moroccan nationals fell by 5.1% compared with the first quarter of the year. Moroccans were the second-largest nationality affected by such orders during the period, after Algerian nationals, who accounted for 10,390 decisions.

Across the European Union, authorities issued 110,335 orders for non-EU citizens to leave during the second quarter. The figure was down 3.9% from the previous quarter and 12% compared with the same period in 2025.

However, departure orders did not directly translate into completed returns. Eurostat recorded 36,825 people who were effectively returned to countries outside the EU during the quarter, an increase of 5.9% compared with the first quarter and 9.7% year on year.

France recorded the highest number of departure orders among EU member states, with 32,420 cases, followed by Portugal with 11,190 and Germany with 8,160. Together, the three countries accounted for 46.9% of all orders issued across the EU.

The pattern was different for completed returns. Germany reported the highest number, with 8,400 people returned to third countries, followed by France with 3,825 and Poland with 3,005. These three countries accounted for 41.4% of all returns to countries outside the EU.

Eurostat distinguishes between an order to leave and an actual return. A departure order is an administrative decision requiring a non-EU citizen to leave, while a return refers to the effective departure of a person to a third country following such an order.

The data also show that returns can take different forms, including voluntary and forced departures. Across the EU, the majority of people returned during the second quarter left voluntarily, while a smaller share were subject to forced return procedures.

The figures provide a quarterly snapshot of how EU countries implement immigration decisions and should not be interpreted as a direct measure of the number of people living irregularly in the European Union.