Special Report | Return of Third Country Nationals 2023

In 2023, as in previous years, the national mechanism for external monitoring of forced returns exceeded its initial plans, participating in almost all air oper­ations and selectively in land operations. The Ombudsman consistently em­phasizes two key issues: first, the need for timely notification to third coun­try nationals about their removal, and second, the importance of a thorough medical assessment —not limited to interviews— to determine the fitness of all returnees to travel (fit to travel).