Illegal migration to the European Union fell by 38 percent year-on-year last year to the lowest level since 2021.
Last year, illegal migration to the European Union fell by 38 percent year-on-year to the lowest level since 2021, when the movement of people was still affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. This follows from preliminary data of the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex) published on its website on Tuesday, reports TASR.
Frontex attributes the drop in the total number of unauthorized entries to the year-on-year drop in arrivals via the Mediterranean migration route (-59 percent) and a sharp decrease in cases detected on the route leading through the Western Balkans (-78 percent).
Conversely, increases were recorded on the West African route (+ 18 percent) and on the migration route through the Eastern Mediterranean (+ 14 percent). The EU recorded up to three times higher number of violations on the eastern land route, namely on the borders with Ukraine and Belarus.
Converters adapt to new circumstances
Frontex explains that the proportion of women among recorded migrants has remained at around ten percent. A significant share – up to 62 percent – of all arriving women reached the borders of the EU from the Eastern Mediterranean. Most of them were Afghan and Syrian women.
Last year, the share of minors among illegal migrants also increased to 16 from 13 percent in 2023. “The year 2024 saw a significant reduction in the number of illegal border crossings, but at the same time it drew attention to emerging risks and changing dynamics,” said Frontex director Hans Leijtens.
Regarding ongoing challenges, Frontex mentions, for example, that smuggling networks adapt to new circumstances and migration flows can change rapidly. They reported an increase in violence by smugglers on the Western Balkan route. According to the agency, instability in regions such as the African Sahel continues to fuel migration towards Europe.
