Migrants: Access to EU Falls by 30% in 2024
Such data was published by the European Border and Coast Guard Agency Frontex
Between January and June 2024, the number of illegal border crossings with the EU fell by 30%. This was confirmed by preliminary data collected by the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex). In the first six months of 2024, about 94,000 illegal entries were recorded.
Of the three main migration routes – the Balkans, Central Mediterranean, and West Africa – the former saw a 72% decrease, the Mediterranean route saw a 61% decrease, while the route through West Africa recorded a 174% increase, with 20,000 people involved. Canary Islands (Spain) accepted 2600 in June alone, and from the land border through the Baltic States and Poland the increase is 148% (6700 people, most of Ukrainian nationality).
On the other hand, 2023 was a record year: Frontex provided data on 380,000 illegal migrants arriving in the European Union, a 17% increase from 2022 and the highest figure since 2016. “The Central Mediterranean route, which recorded the highest number of illegal crossings a year ago, has continued to show a downward trend in recent months,” Frontex said in a note. “Despite a 61% decrease from last year, this route remained the most active this year with nearly 26,000 detections. Arrivals fell to 4500 in June, down 71% from last year.”