'Trend will continue': Number of people refused entry to Europe sees sharp rise

Refused entry

In 2025, 132,600 non-EU citizens were refused entry at the EU external borders, 7 per cent more than in 2024, the EU statistical office Eurostat has reported.

The largest groups by nationality who were denied entry were Ukrainians (27,000), Albanians, Moldovans, Colombians, Turkish and Serbians.

“Most of them were from countries that share land borders with the EU,” noted Eurostat.

Among those denied entry to the EU in 2025, there were also 1,855 Indian nationals, 1,240 Britons, and 965 US citizens.

The highest number of refusals was recorded in Poland, followed by France, Croatia and Spain.

Compared to 2024, the number of refusals declined in Denmark and Switzerland (which is not in the EU, but is part of the border-free Schengen area), while it increased significantly in Spain, France, Italy, Sweden, and also in Norway, which is also part of Schengen.

Slight increases were also reported in Germany and Austria.

Carmine Conte, Senior Legal Policy Analyst at the Migration Policy Group, a think tank based in Brussels, said the data reflected a “stronger border enforcement implementation across Europe”.

He noted that more than 60 per cent of entry refusals at land were recorded in Poland, showing a “less welcoming” approach to Ukrainians compared to the beginning of the war.

“This trend is likely to continue in line with the EU goal to reduce irregular migration and increase returns,” he said.

UK nationals represented the highest number denied entry in Malta, whilst they were the second highest in Denmark and Norway, and the third in Sweden. US nationals were the third largest group denied entry in Switzerland (95 individuals).

The countries that refused the highest number of UK nationals from entering the country were France (200), the Netherlands (125), Italy and Poland (80 each).

The main reason for refusing access to the EU was that the “purpose and conditions of stay” was “not justified”. The second most common reason was for having already stayed 3 months within a 6-month period, as set out under the Schengen 90-day rules. Other less common reasons for being refused entry included people having “no valid visa or residence permit”, a police alert having been issued against individuals and those who simply had no valid travel document.

Separate to the Eurostat data the EU's 2026 State of Schengen report released in May highlighted the new automated border controls known as the Entry-Exit System (EES) as playing a key role in the number of people refused entry. The full launch of EES began in April, however the checks are not being enforced everywhere.

"Among these cases, nearly 800 persons were considered a threat to internal security while almost 7,000 travellers were denied entry for having overstayed in the Schengen area," according to the report, which is updated to April 20th 2026.

'Illegally present'

According to the Eurostat data, in 2025, the number of people found to be illegally present in EU countries decreased to less than 720,000 from some 920,000 in 2024. That represents a 22 per cent decline. A reduction was recorded in almost all countries, but there were marked increases in Ireland, Luxembourg and in Norway.

People are considered illegally present in the EU due to illegal entry, overstaying the 90 days over 180 days Schengen limit, or having expired residence permits and visa.

Germany and France reported the highest share of people found to be unlawfully present on their territory, together making up for almost half of the total. They were followed by Italy, Greece and Spain.

Algerian citizens accounted for the largest number of third country nationals in this position (71,000), followed by citizens of Afghanistan, Morocco and Ukraine.

Almost 14,000 Indian citizens, 1,125 UK nationals, and 920 US citizens were also found to be illegally present in the EU / Schengen area in 2025.

Orders to leave

Being considered “illegally present” usually leads to an order to leave the country. Almost half a million people, 491,950 non-EU citizens, were issued an order to leave an EU country in 2025, a 6 per cent increase compared to 2024. France reported the highest number (137,550), followed by Germany and Spain.

The largest groups of people ordered to leave were citizens of Algeria, Morocco, Türkiye, Syria, and India. The number of Indian nationals, in particular, jumped to 19,000 from 8,700 in 2024.

In 2025, some 1,730 UK citizens were ordered to leave EU countries, a sharp increase compared to 1,070 in 2024, with the largest number reported in the Netherlands (820) and Sweden (200).

The number US nationals ordered to leave Schengen countries also rose, reaching 2,330 compared to 1,280 in 2024, against mostly in the Netherlands (1,355) and Sweden (285).

Returns

Following an order to leave, 135,460 third-country nationals were returned to a non-EU country, a 21 percent increase compared to 2024.

Germany reported the largest number (about 29,300), followed by France (15,000) and Sweden (11,000).

The people most affected were citizens from Türkiye (13,000), Georgia, Syria, Albania, and Russia. Almost 4,000 Indian nationals were also returned as well as 745 US and 625 UK citizens.