Return - IOM Publications - International Organization for Migration

Return Migration: Policies and Practices
Operational Steps for Involuntary Return
Escorts
As a general rule, for difficult removal operations, there are two escorts per deportee.
Chartered Flights
Generally, carriers may and do refuse deportees who demonstrate resistance when embarking on
the aircraft.
Following a series of difficulties encountered during removal on commercial flights and an
incident in early 2003 during which one deportee died, France nowadays effects most removals
collectively through special charters.
In line with the government’s decision to increase the number of deportations, several charter
flights were organized during the first quarter of 2003. In early March, some 54 persons were
forcibly returned to Senegal and Côte d’Ivoire, accompanied on a charter flight by 89 French
escorts (Gendarmerie) and four German officials. 4
Three weeks later, 55 nationals from Côte d’Ivoire and ten Senegalese were deported on a carrier
departing from Roissy Airport. On 27 March 2003, Spain and France operated a joint deportation
flight to Romania for 70 Roma. At the beginning of April, four deportees were removed on
a joint British and French flight to Afghanistan.
Charter flights were already being used throughout the 1980s for removals to Romania, Mali,
and Mauritania. In the past, France has conducted joint charter flight operations with Germany,
the Netherlands, Spain and the UK. However, since detailed negotiations are necessary with the
countries of origin, the implementation of such operations has proven problematic for France on
issues of jurisdiction and the use of escorts.
Therefore, the French government has taken the lead on a project to rationalize expulsion measures,
in particular by means of “group returns”. France has entered into talks with Germany and
the UK on the possibility of “European joint flights”, also in light of the emerging EU policy on
return of illegal residents, which encourages joint removal operations.
Accordingly, the French Ministry of Interior, which holds overall responsibility for removals,
plans to organize monthly meetings to work out (a) best legal procedure; (b) operational constraints
(security rules during flights, composition of escorts, requests to transit third countries
etc); and (c) diplomatic constraints (issue of consular/EU laissez-passer documents, reception
by the authorities of the country of destination, etc).
Among EU Member States, France – like Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands – faces the
most difficulties in removing rejected asylum seekers.
Framework Agreements with Countries of Origin or Transit
France has concluded readmission agreements with Germany, Austria, the Benelux countries,
Spain, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland, Romania and Senegal. Negotiations
with Mali and China are under way.
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