How many illegal migrants returned to Türkiye

Priority question for written answer P-003799/2025
to the Commission
Rule 144
Fabrice Leggeri (PfE)

The Commission has just published the ninth report on the Facility for Refugees in Turkey, set up following the 2016 EU-Turkey Statement.

Between April 2016 and February 2025, more than 43 815 Syrian refugees were resettled from Türkiye to the EU, with Türkiye accepting only 2 140 migrants from the Greek islands in return - and none since March 2020.

However, the Statement set out that for each refugee resettled in the EU, a refugee who had arrived in the Greek islands illegally would be returned to Türkiye.

Between January and December 2024, 65 574 irregular migrants arrived in the EU from Türkiye compared to 57 597 arrivals during the same period in 2023 - a 14% increase[1].

As a reminder, EU aid to Türkiye since 2011 amounts to EUR 12.4 billion.

• 1.Did the Steering Committee for Refugees in Turkey, whose aim is to assess the implementation of the Statement, meet in spring 2025 as was announced in April 2025[2]?
• 2.Why do the next steps set by the Commission in its report not include making the disbursement of EU funds to Türkiye conditional on compliance with the Statement?
• 3.How many illegal migrants has the EU returned to Türkiye since 2016?

Submitted: 1.10.2025

• [1] https://ec.europa.eu/transparency/documents-register/detail?ref=COM(2025)517〈=en
• [2] https://redmapl3.europarl.europa.eu/RedmapFront/media/reds_iMaQp_Asw/E-10-2025-000141-ASW/E-10-2025-000141-ASW-FF_en.pdf