Eurostat data highlighted on 6 November by EUnews reveal that only 25 percent of non-EU nationals ordered to leave the European Union in 2024 were actually returned to their country of origin. Italy mirrors the gap: of 13,330 return orders issued in the first half of 2024, just 2,035—about 15 percent—were executed.
Immigration-law experts say the low enforcement rate stems from limited detention capacity, legal appeals and difficulties obtaining travel documents from origin states. The figures arrive as the Italian government rolls out a new three-year **Flussi** quota allocating almost 500,000 work permits for 2026-28, a policy aimed at pairing legal pathways with tougher removals.
![Eurostat Return-Rate Figures Renew Debate on Effectiveness of Italy’s Deportation Policy]()
Business-immigration practitioners warn that political pressure to raise return numbers could translate into more workplace inspections and stricter scrutiny of sponsor compliance, especially in agriculture and construction. Companies employing third-country nationals without full permit documentation risk heavier fines and reputational damage.
Brussels is urging member states to use the forthcoming Entry/Exit biometric database, slated to be fully operational by April 2026, to track overstays more accurately. Italy’s Interior Ministry says it will open 600 extra detention beds in 2026 and negotiate new readmission agreements with Bangladesh, Egypt and Tunisia—key labour-supply nations for Italian employers.
Immigration-law experts say the low enforcement rate stems from limited detention capacity, legal appeals and difficulties obtaining travel documents from origin states. The figures arrive as the Italian government rolls out a new three-year **Flussi** quota allocating almost 500,000 work permits for 2026-28, a policy aimed at pairing legal pathways with tougher removals.
Business-immigration practitioners warn that political pressure to raise return numbers could translate into more workplace inspections and stricter scrutiny of sponsor compliance, especially in agriculture and construction. Companies employing third-country nationals without full permit documentation risk heavier fines and reputational damage.
Brussels is urging member states to use the forthcoming Entry/Exit biometric database, slated to be fully operational by April 2026, to track overstays more accurately. Italy’s Interior Ministry says it will open 600 extra detention beds in 2026 and negotiate new readmission agreements with Bangladesh, Egypt and Tunisia—key labour-supply nations for Italian employers.
