In 2024, Germany sent Italy 12,841 requests to return migrants registered on Italian territory, according to data from the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees.
Although Italy officially approved 10,402 of these requests, in practice, only three individuals returned—just 0.0288% of the total. A similar situation occurred with other European Union countries. For example, Greece accepted only 22 people, Bulgaria 290, and Croatia 533, despite each having previously agreed to take back thousands of migrants.
Italy, one of the main entry points for migrants into Europe, stopped accepting migrants back in December 2022, citing excessive pressure on its migration services. Germany expressed hope that this ban would be temporary, but since then, Berlin has had to cope with the additional burden on its own.
Under the Dublin Agreement, responsibility for a migrant lies with the country of first entry. Germany, which aims to adhere to this rule more strictly than other EU countries, managed to return only 13% of migrants in 2024. Meanwhile, 45% of the individuals for whom Germany is responsible arrived via other EU countries.
