Policy brief: Promising non-return policies

This Policy Brief presents policy recommendations for EU+ countries hosting significant numbers of irregular migrants to find sustainable and promising responses to prolonged situations of non-return. Three key considerations guided the recommendations’ development. First, the proposed recommendations seek mutual benefit – aiming to identify approaches that support the well-being and agency of irregular migrants while also responding to the needs and interests of host societies. Second, the proposed recommendations acknowledge the fluidity of migrants’ legal status and the need for more stable, sustainable solutions across countries. Third, attention is given to policy transferability, recognizing the context-depended implementation of different non-return policies and the need for a more harmonized approach across national contexts.