Frontex supports Member States throughout the return process, from preparing return cases to organising and supporting departures. In the first half of 2026, 109 Return Specialists from the Standing Corps worked across 15 Member States, helping national authorities manage return cases and obtain the identity documents required for travel. A further 118 Return Escort and Support Officers (FRESOs) were deployed across 11 Member States to assist returnees at airports and with the administrative and logistical arrangements for return flights. Frontex also supports reintegration after return through the EU Reintegration Programme.

Frontex supported the return of more than 33.000 people to non-EU countries between January and June 2026, compared with around 30.000 during the same period in 2025. Some 21.000 people returned voluntarily, up from around 19.000 a year earlier. Since 2022, Frontex has supported around 215.000 returns. Around 14.000 people registered for EU reintegration assistance during the first half of 2026, compared with around 8.000 in the same period of 2025. More than four in five of those registering had returned voluntarily.

The ten most represented nationalities among people returned with Frontex support between January and June 2026 were Türkiye, Syria, Georgia, Colombia, India, Brazil, Albania, Morocco, Nigeria and Iraq. Germany, France, Cyprus, Belgium and Sweden recorded the highest numbers of Frontex-supported returns among EU Member States. 

Looking ahead, European Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration Magnus Brunner announced that the European Commission will propose further strengthening Frontex's support to Member States on returns in autumn 2026.

For further details, please read the press release from Frontex.