Migration and asylum: EU Commissioner Brunner sees a decline in irregular entries
EU migration commissioner Magnus Brunner says irregular entries into Europe are falling sharply, while returns of rejected asylum seekers are still too low.
Intelligence analysis by GPT-5.4 Mini
Brunner says irregular crossings into the EU have dropped, including steep declines on some routes, but he argues the bloc still needs tougher returns and new cooperation with third countries. The debate is sharpening as the common EU asylum system begins.
Brunner says fewer people are crossing into Europe without permission, like fewer people trying to sneak through a gate. But he also says Europe still sends too few rejected asylum seekers back, so leaders are arguing about stricter rules and special return centers.
Analysis
What Brunner says
EU migration commissioner Magnus Brunner says irregular entries into Europe have fallen again. In an interview with the Funke Media Group, he cited a drop of 55 percent over two years and said some routes, such as the Western Balkans route, were down by as much as 90 percent over three years.
He also pointed to the route from Turkey to the Greek islands: between January and April 2026, the number of people trying to enter the EU there without valid papers or permission was about 67 percent lower than in the same period a year earlier. The article notes that already in the first quarter of 2025, irregular migration attempts had fallen by 30 percent.
Returns and controversy
Brunner said the EU has also made some progress on returning rejected asylum seekers to their countries of origin. According to him, the return rate rose from 21 percent to nearly 30 percent last year, but that is still far too low. He said people who ignore return orders should face consequences, including prison and future entry bans.
He wants stronger cooperation with third countries and supports so-called return hubs outside the European Union for people who cannot be sent directly back to their home countries. Human rights groups and church organizations have criticized these plans, warning of the possible criminalization of migration. Brunner rejected concerns about legal gray areas and said the centers would work with organizations such as the UN refugee agency.
The bigger EU picture
The interview comes just before the EU's common asylum system takes effect on June 12. Brunner said the right to asylum remains intact and called Germany a pioneer in implementing the reform. He said member states must prepare to examine a total of 60,000 asylum applications at the EU's external borders over the next 12 months. He argued that the system should help restore control over migration and rebuild public trust in legal migration, which he says Europe needs for its labor markets.
Key points
- Brunner says irregular entries into Europe have fallen sharply on several routes.
- He cites a 67 percent drop on the Turkey-to-Greek-islands route from January to April 2026.
- Returns of rejected asylum seekers rose from 21 percent to nearly 30 percent, but he says that is still not enough.
- He supports return hubs outside the EU, despite criticism from rights groups and churches.
- The comments come just before the EU's common asylum system takes effect on June 12.
If the decline in irregular crossings continues, border pressure on EU states could ease and the new asylum system may get off to a calmer start. Brunner also argues that a more orderly system could strengthen trust in legal migration for Europe’s labor markets.
The return system could remain weak even if arrivals fall, leaving rejected asylum claims stuck in the system. The planned return hubs may also keep drawing legal and human-rights criticism, especially if member states disagree on how the new EU rules should work.
