EU Mulls Return Rate For Irregular Migrants Denied Asylum

The European Union is mulling boosting the rate of return for irregular migrants who have been denied asylum within the 27-country bloc.

EU interior ministers met on Thursday to discuss how to return irregular migrants to their home countries more effectively.

Maria Malmer Stenergard, the migration minister for Sweden, which hosted the meeting as the current holder of the EU presidency said; "Returning those who have been denied asylum in Europe is a really important issue."

EU home affairs commissioner, Ylva Johansson also added; "We have a very low return rate.

"We can do significant progress here to increase the numbers of returns and have it more effective and quicker.”

European Commission statistics show that in 2021, out of 340,500 orders for migrants to be returned to their countries of origin, only 21% were carried out.

EU leaders in December 2021 called for "all relevant tools" to be used to push migrant-originating countries to cooperate on readmissions, including access to development aid, trade and visas.