Gambiaj.com – (BANJUL, The Gambia) – A new investigation into Europe’s migration policy is raising questions about whether the European Union’s growing reliance on so-called “voluntary returns” is in fact a form of pressure on migrants to deport themselves, with critics arguing that the strategy reflects a broader attempt to control mobility while masking the coercive nature of deportations.
The analysis, published by the organization Statewatch, focuses on the expanding role of the EU border agency Frontex in organizing and financing these returns, a policy that has gained prominence as European governments struggle to enforce deportation orders and reduce irregular migration.
Frontex at the Centre of EU Deportation Strategy
The report argues that Frontex has become the central operational actor in Europe’s migration control framework, supported by a rapidly expanding budget and mandate.
In 2025 the agency received more than €1.1 billion from the European Commission, far exceeding the budgets of several other EU agencies, and a significant share of that funding is directed toward return operations.
Funding for deportation-related activities alone reached €133 million, representing a 42 percent increase compared with the previous year. By contrast, only €2.5 million was earmarked for human-rights-related activities.
According to advocates and researchers cited in the investigation, this imbalance highlights the EU’s increasing prioritization of deportations over rights protections as policymakers attempt to enforce migration rules more effectively.
The shift comes as European leaders, including European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, push for reforms to the bloc’s returns system, arguing that deportation rates remain far too low. In the third quarter of 2024, only about 28,630 of more than 112,000 migrants issued expulsion orders in the EU were actually returned to their countries of origin, a rate of roughly one in five.
Rise of ‘Voluntary’ Returns
Facing high costs and diplomatic resistance from countries reluctant to accept deported citizens, European authorities have increasingly turned to “voluntary return” schemes as an alternative to forced removals.
Under this approach, migrants are encouraged to agree to return to their home countries through assisted programmes rather than being forcibly deported. These programs are significantly cheaper because migrants travel on commercial flights rather than chartered deportation aircraft.
The number of such returns has grown steadily. Frontex assisted just 155 voluntary returns from nine EU countries in 2019, but by 2024 the figure had risen to more than 35,000 migrants returned from 26 member states.
Today, voluntary departures account for more than half of migrants leaving Europe under return procedures.
Financial Incentives and Reintegration Programs
A key element of the system is financial assistance provided to migrants who agree to return. Under Frontex’s reintegration programs, migrants may receive around €615 in short-term support for voluntary returns and additional long-term assistance such as healthcare access or help starting small businesses.
Additional incentives of €1,000 to €2,000 may also be offered depending on the circumstances of the return, with extra payments provided for accompanying family members.
These programmes are implemented through a network of NGOs operating across dozens of countries, including destinations in Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. By 2024, migrants from countries such as Turkey, Iraq, Georgia, Gambia, Nigeria, and Pakistan were among the largest groups participating in these programs.
However, some analysts argue that the financial incentives and the possibility of shorter bans on re-entering Europe effectively pressure migrants into accepting return. One policy expert cited in the investigation describes the practice as “a form of blackmail” because migrants may feel compelled to accept assistance to avoid harsher deportation measures.
Impact on Migrants and Countries of Origin
The human consequences of the policy are also highlighted in the report, including the experience of migrants who return home after unsuccessful journeys to Europe.
The investigation recounts the story of a Gambian migrant deported after several years in Europe who struggled to reintegrate after returning home. Medical professionals in the country report that some returnees experience severe psychological stress or develop substance-abuse problems after deportation.
The issue is particularly sensitive in countries like The Gambia, where remittances from migrants abroad account for a significant portion of the national economy, more than one-fifth of the GDP in 2023.
Critics say large-scale deportations therefore carry wider economic and social consequences beyond the migrants themselves.
Legal and Accountability Questions
The growing role of Frontex in deportation operations has also sparked debate over legal responsibility. Scholars warn that the agency may be avoiding accountability by leaving member states responsible for verifying whether deportation orders are lawful before returns take place.
Under EU regulations, however, Frontex is required to assess the legality of return operations on a case-by-case basis.
Legal experts argue that failure to do so could expose the agency to potential liability if migrants are deported unlawfully or pressured into accepting “voluntary” departure without informed consent.
A Broader EU Migration Strategy
The investigation concludes that voluntary return programs are part of a broader EU strategy of migration control that combines deportations, financial incentives, and cooperation with non-EU countries.
Critics argue that these policies reinforce what they describe as a “neo-colonial” approach to migration management—one that extends European border enforcement beyond the continent while presenting deportation as humanitarian assistance.
Supporters of stricter migration policies, however, contend that improving return rates is essential for maintaining the credibility of the EU’s asylum and migration system.
As European institutions debate reforms to the bloc’s return rules, the controversy surrounding Frontex’s voluntary return programs underscores a central tension in EU migration policy: balancing border enforcement with human rights protections.
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