Magnus Brunner told the German newspaper Welt am Sonntag on January 3, 2026 that the European Union is heading for the “highest deportation rate since 2019.”
“We must combat illegal migration on all fronts. This includes consistently deporting those who have lost the right to remain in the EU, as well as swiftly rejecting people with little prospect of receiving asylum,” said Brunner, the EU Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration.
EU: Rising deportation rate and the Migration and Asylum Pact
Brunner said the EU’s deportation rate — defined as the percentage of ordered returns actually carried out — rose to 27% in the first three quarters of 2025, up from 19% in 2023.
He linked this rise to the bloc’s Migration and Asylum Pact, highlighting two main changes:
– Fast-track asylum procedures at external borders to shorten processing times.
– The creation of “return hubs” in third countries outside the EU to host rejected asylum seekers while they await removal.
Brunner framed deportations as part of an enforcement approach that is paired with quicker rejections for applicants seen as unlikely to qualify for protection. The pact aims to compress timelines for certain cases and move rejected applicants more quickly into return systems tied to deportation flights.
EU operational focus and key elements
- Objective: Increase the share of ordered removals that are executed.
- Mechanisms:
- Faster decision-making for asylum claims with limited prospects.
- Use of third-country return hubs to stage removals.
- Administrative and operational changes under the Migration and Asylum Pact to boost deportation performance.
U.S.: Policy changes, adjudicative holds, and enforcement expansion
Across the Atlantic, U.S. agencies also announced a widening push to increase removals and tighten immigration processing in January 2026.
USCIS adjudicative hold (PM-602-0194)
- On January 1, 2026, USCIS issued Policy Memorandum PM-602-0194, titled “Hold and Review of USCIS Benefit Applications Filed by Aliens from Additional High-Risk Countries.” — see the memorandum at PM-602-0194.
- Effective immediately, USCIS placed an adjudicative hold on all pending benefit applications for individuals from 39 countries identified in Presidential Proclamation 10998.
- USCIS said:
- “USCIS will conduct a thorough review on a case-by-case basis to assess benefit eligibility, ensuring aliens from high-risk countries of concern who have entered the United States do not pose risks to national security or public safety.”
- The hold affects pending benefit requests, including green card and work permit cases, and is framed as an additional security review before granting immigration benefits.
DHS social post controversy
- On January 2, 2026, DHS drew scrutiny after the department’s official social media account posted an image of a pristine 1960s-era American beach with the caption:
> “America after 100 million deportations. The peace of a nation no longer besieged by the third world” - The 100 million figure far exceeds the estimated 11–12 million undocumented immigrants in the U.S., prompting analysis that the administration’s “remigration” goals may include legal residents and certain classes of naturalized citizens.
ICE manpower and removals
- ICE announced on January 3, 2026 that it had recorded a 120% increase in manpower, adding 12,000 new officers and agents in less than 12 months.
- Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said: “DHS can now execute its lawful authority and remove illegal aliens to a country willing to accept them. Fire up the deportation planes.”
- The statement was issued mid-2025 and reaffirmed in January 2026.
- The United States recorded approximately 2.5 million removals in 2025, according to figures presented alongside DHS’s January announcements.
Comparative summary: EU and U.S. approaches
Both the EU and the U.S. have emphasized stronger enforcement, faster processing, and the role of third countries in receiving deported people. Key parallels include:
– Focus on increasing the percentage of ordered returns executed (EU) and expanding enforcement capacity (U.S.).
– Use of third countries: EU’s return hubs and DHS’s focus on removals to “a country willing to accept them.”
– Administrative measures that compress timelines and apply security-focused reviews to benefit applicants.
Key statistics at a glance
| Item | Figure |
|---|---|
| EU deportation rate (first three quarters of 2025) | 27% |
| EU deportation rate (2023) | 19% |
| ICE manpower increase | +12,000 officers/agents (120% increase) |
| U.S. removals in 2025 | ~2.5 million |
| Estimated undocumented immigrants in U.S. | 11–12 million |
| Countries subject to USCIS adjudicative hold | 39 (Presidential Proclamation 10998) |
Important notes and context
- Brunner emphasized that deportations are one component of a broader administrative and operational shift under the EU’s Migration and Asylum Pact.
- USCIS framed the January 1, 2026 hold as a security measure to ensure benefit applicants from the listed countries do not pose national security or public safety risks.
- The DHS social media caption and the 100 million figure triggered debate about the scope of targeted populations, given the lower estimates of undocumented residents.
Sources and further information
Further details are posted at:
– USCIS Newsroom: https://www.uscis.gov/newsroom
– DHS press releases: https://www.dhs.gov/news/press-releases
– European Commission — Home Affairs: https://home-affairs.ec.europa.eu/index_en
The EU and U.S. are entering a period of unprecedented immigration enforcement. The EU is leveraging its new Migration and Asylum Pact to reach its highest deportation levels in years, utilizing fast-track border procedures. Simultaneously, the U.S. has significantly increased ICE manpower and suspended benefit processing for 39 nations. Both powers are focusing on national security and the swift removal of individuals without legal right to remain.
