Which EU Countries Deport the Most People?

The following chart shows the recorded number of third country nationals who were deported following an order to leave one of the member states or EFTA countries in 2022. According to the Eurostat database, France carried out the highest number of deportations at 14,240 people that year (14 percent of the bloc’s total returns), followed by Germany with 13,130 people (13 percent) and Sweden with 10,490 people (10 percent).

The 10 year annual average for asylum applicants in each country included on the chart highlights how the highest number of asylum applicants and highest number of returns to other countries are both in France and Germany, the bloc’s two most populous countries. Looking at these figures side by side, Sweden stands out for its relatively high number of returns compared to its average number of asylum applicants.

In 2022, the biggest groups of nationals ordered to leave an EU Member State territory were Algerians (33,535), Moroccans (35,510) and citizens from Pakistan (25,280).

It’s important to note here that this chart reflects just two metrics and so only a quick impression of a complex topic, providing an idea of the scale of the number of people deported in contrast to the average inflow. People migrate from one country to another for all kinds of reasons and of course not only asylum seekers will be among those returned to other countries.