Countries in the European Union struggled with returning migrants to third countries with less than 60 per cent of return decisions implemented in 2016, the EU border protection agency, Frontex, said in a report on Wednesday.
“Of more than 305,000 migrants who were ordered to leave EU countries, only about 176,000 actually returned to their countries of origin or other non-EU countries,’’ the report said.
It noted that the total number of return decisions was most likely even higher than 305,000 due to divergent reporting by four EU countries for part of 2016.
It added that difficulties in implementing return decision arise from problems in identifying returnees and obtaining the necessary documents from non-EU authorities.
“Migrants expected to voluntarily return often decide to stay illegally in the EU,’’ it said.
Frontex’s report showed that by the end of 2016 most migrants arrived to the EU through the central Mediterranean with a total of 180,000 people coming to Italy, mostly via Libya.
“We have to be ready to face the same number,’’ Fabrice Leggeri, Frontex Executive Director, said with a view to 2017.
He said that smugglers from Libya try to get migrants to international waters where they are picked up by EU rescue operations and are brought to Europe.
The small boats used by smugglers have been getting increasingly crowded: while an average of 100 people were crammed on one boat during 2015, the average figure now stands at 160 people. (dpa/NAN)