The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on return procedures had been significant across EU countries as well as OECD countries in and outside Europe since March 2020. This Inform looks into the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on voluntary and forced return procedures and on policy responses. 

24 Member States provided information on national laws and practices regarding the detention of families with children in migration procedures, the possibility to detain one of the parents and detention in the context of the age assessment process.

These three EMN Informs look into i.a. possible approaches for return counselling, support for return counsellors, and information provision for the return of migrants.

Myria (the Belgian Federal Migration Centre - an independent public body analyzing migration policies) has released its fifth MyriaDoc on Return, Detention and Removal of Foreigners in Belgium (2017).

Forced returns of rejected asylum seekers to Afghanistan have been heavily debated in Sweden. In this context, the Swedish Contact Point of the EMN has gathered and analyzed the information provided by 17 Member States, including Belgium, on this topic.

This EMN Inform summarizes the main findings of the EMN study "The Illegal Employment of Third-Country Nationals in the EU".

24 (Member) States provided information on the volume of returned unaccompanied minors and on family tracing. This ad hoc query was launched by the Finnish Contact Point to the EMN.