The European Commission said efficiently returning illegal arrivals to their countries of origin was an “urgent” priority. "The priority is clear: bringing illegal arrival numbers down and keeping them down," said EU commissioner for migration Magnus Brunner. The announcement comes as political pressure on the EU to crack down on illegal migration remains high, even as irregular arrivals were down by more than a quarter in 2025. 'Return hubs'The EU commission highlighted that only about a fourth of migrants who have been ordered to leave actually return to their countries of origin. The bloc said that increasing the effectiveness of the EU's return system was "urgent."