Almost 16,000 European arrests warrants were issued in 2020, compared to just over 20,000 in 2019, according to a European Commission document.
The warrants allow authorities in the 27 EU states to extradite people wanted for crimes where the offence carries a maximum penalty of at least one year in prison.
It can also be issued for a custodial sentence or detention order when the person sought has been sentenced to at least four months in jail.
The 16,000 covers everything ...
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Nikolaj joined EUobserver in 2012 and covers home affairs. He is originally from Denmark, but spent much of his life in France and in Belgium. He was awarded the King Baudouin Foundation grant for investigative journalism in 2010.