Irregular crossings into the European Union in 2024 dropped to their lowest degree since 2021, the EU border company Frontex reported Tuesday.
Preliminary information for 2024 confirmed “a significant 38% drop” in such crossings, the Warsaw-based company mentioned. The figures mark a steep decline in undocumented entries in comparison with earlier years, with numbers at their lowest since migration patterns have been disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021.
Frontex attributed the lower primarily to decreased arrivals by way of the central Mediterranean and Western Balkans routes.
“Despite persistent migration pressure, intensified EU and partner cooperation against smuggling networks has significantly reduced crossings at Europe’s external borders,” the company said.
In complete, Frontex recorded over 239,000 irregular entries into the EU in 2024. The most vital decline occurred alongside the Western Balkans route, which noticed a dramatic 78% drop. The company credited “strong efforts by regional countries to stem the flow” for the discount.
Meanwhile, detections alongside the Central Mediterranean route fell by 59%, primarily on account of fewer departures from Tunisia and Libya. Nevertheless, this route accounted for roughly 67,000 crossings, making it the second most lively path for irregular migration after the Eastern Mediterranean route.
Shifting tendencies
While some routes skilled declines, others witnessed sharp will increase. The Canary Islands route recorded an 18% rise in arrivals, with almost 47,000 crossings – the best determine since Frontex started gathering information in 2009.
This surge was pushed by departures from Mauritania, though flows from different factors of origin noticed declines. Spain has more and more turn out to be a focus for migration into the EU, as tightened Mediterranean controls push extra asylum seekers towards the hazardous journey from West Africa to the Canaries.
The EU’s jap land borders additionally noticed a “threefold” improve in detections, together with Poland’s border with Belarus. EU member states alongside the bloc’s jap edge have accused Russia and Belarus of orchestrating a marketing campaign to destabilize Europe by pushing migrants over their borders.
In December, the EU licensed member states bordering Russia and Belarus to limit asylum rights in instances the place migration is used as a “weaponization” tactic. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk not too long ago emphasised that the best to asylum is being exploited “by Poland’s enemies, particularly on the border with Belarus.”
Commenting on the 2024 migration tendencies, Frontex Executive Director Hans Leijtens pointed to “emerging risks and shifting dynamics” in migration flows. Smuggling networks, he warned, are quickly adapting to altering circumstances, necessitating ongoing vigilance and cooperation.
Frontex additionally highlighted rising considerations over “increasing violence” by smugglers alongside the Western Balkans route, emphasizing the necessity for strong measures to handle the evolving challenges of irregular migration.
Source: www.dailysabah.com