EU sees drop in illegal border crossings
The number of illegal border crossings into the European Union fell by an average 38 per cent last year to 239,000, European border surveillance agency Frontex reports, based on preliminary figures for 2024. According to Frontex, it is the lowest level since 2021, when fewer migrants arrived due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The most significant decreases were recorded in the Western Balkans - down 78 per cent - and the Central Mediterranean, down 59 per cent, including routes from Libya and Tunisia to Greece and Italy.
The drop in Tunisian crossings is linked to a 2023 agreement between Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and then-Dutch prime minister Mark Rutte. Despite an initial surge, migration from Tunisia has since declined.
However, migrants in Tunisia face severe repression, including arrests, displacement to camps with limited resources and abandonment at the Libyan border, where mass graves have been discovered.
Regional differences
While some regions saw declines, others experienced increases. Crossings from Africa to the Canary Islands rose by 18 per cent, reaching nearly 47,000, the highest since Frontex began tracking data in 2009.
Eastern routes also saw a surge, with crossings along Ukraine and Belarus borders tripling. Additionally, more than 69,000 migrants - mainly from Syria, Afghanistan and Egypt - entered the EU via the Eastern Mediterranean route, a 14 per cent year-on-year increase.
Despite the overall decline, regional disparities underline the complexity of managing migration within the EU.
© PHOTO HANS LUCAS COLLECTION
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