On 24 December 2010 the deadline for the transposition of the Returns Directive (2008/115/EC, Directive on Common Standards and Procedures in Member States for Returning Illegally Staying Third Country Nationals) expired. The lectures on which this book is based were originally given during a Jean Monnet/Centre for Migration Law seminar on the Returns Directive that took place in Nijmegen, at the Centre for Migration Law, Radboud University, on Monday 14 February 2011. In light of the very substantial level of interest, we have decided to publish a book on the results of the seminar so that people who were not able to attend may benefit from the wealth of knowledge and information which was shared. The book is divided in two sections. The first section goes into the central themes and the problem issues of the Returns Directive. The second part of the book focuses on the implementation of the Returns Directive in a selected number of Member States. This book offers insight in all the different aspects of the Returns Directive.