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LUXEMBOURG
Framework Agreements with Countries of Origin or Transit
Luxembourg has signed transit and readmission agreements with several countries in order to
facilitate the readmission of persons residing illegally on the territory, i.e. persons who do not
fulfil the conditions of entry or who no longer fulfil the conditions of residence.
Readmission Agreements have been concluded, together with Benelux countries, with Slovenia,
Romania, Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Croatia, Albania, and Serbia and Montenegro.
Other agreements also exist between the Benelux countries and France, Germany and Austria,
primarily for the return of individuals who entered the territory of the Benelux countries through
any of their neighbouring borders.
The agreements are based on a standard Benelux agreement module. The format of this standard
agreement has been changed lately, but still covers the same target group. The agreement concerns
nationals of the agreement-signing countries (Benelux on the one side, and the country of
origin on the other side) and/or third-country nationals, who have entered one of the Benelux
states via one of the other partner states, or who have a regular permit to stay in one of the
Benelux countries.
In general, the agreements only provide for forced returns, although those for Serbia and
Montenegro also cover voluntary returns.
1.4 STATISTICS ON INVOLUNTARY RETURN
It is reported that 44 unsuccessful asylum applicants were deported in 2002. Thirty-five of these
were returned to Montenegro, while the remaining nine were sent back to Serbia. 3 There were
40 deported cases reported in 2001.
Also in 2002, the Government of Luxembourg made 57 requests to return individuals under the
provisions of the Dublin Convention.
1.5 BEST PRACTICES AND LESSONS LEARNED
Cost Effectiveness Analysis
A large proportion of unsuccessful asylum seekers due to be deported abscond, and in cases
where the authorities have chartered a plane, failure to locate an individual on the day of departure
leads to the cancellation of the flight, leaving the government to pick up the cost of carrier
rental. In addition, involuntary returns are always organized with at least one escort from the
Ministry of Justice, which costs much more than a voluntary return without escort. Consequently,
the current operation of forced returns is not very cost effective when compared to voluntary
returns.