Irregular migration into EU drops sharply in 2024, EU border company says

BRUSSELS (Reuters) – The variety of migrants coming into the European Union by irregualr routes dropped total by 38% in 2024, reaching the bottom stage since 2021, the EU border company Frontex mentioned on Tuesday.

Nonetheless, the variety of individuals crossing from the EU’s borders with Belarus and Russia jumped 192% to 17,000, Frontex mentioned.

Important numbers of migrants or asylum-seekers additionally got here from Syria, Afghanistan, Egypt and African nations at the same time as routes into the bloc shifted.

Irregular migration has turn into a key challenge in European politics with many far-right and populist events campaigning in latest and upcoming elections, together with in Germany subsequent month, on guarantees of getting powerful on migration.

Frontex mentioned the drop to simply over 239,000 irregular border crossings final yr was because of intensified EU and associate cooperation towards smuggling networks. It was the bottom stage since 2021 when migration was nonetheless affected by the COVID pandemic.

The general discount in irregular migration was primarily pushed by a 59% plunge in arrivals through the Central Mediterranean route resulting from fewer departures from Tunisia and Libya and a 78% fall on the Western Balkan route because of sturdy efforts by nations within the area to stem the circulation, Frontex mentioned.

However there have been 14% extra instances, reaching 69,400, of irregular border crossing makes an attempt on the Jap Mediterranean route pushed by new corridors from japanese Libya, with migrants predominantly from Syria, Afghanistan, and Egypt.

There was additionally an 18% rise within the variety of migrants taking the Western African route to succeed in the Canary Islands with arrivals reaching virtually 47,000 final yr, fuelled by departures from Mauritania.

“Whereas 2024 noticed a big discount in irregular border crossings, it additionally highlighted rising dangers and shifting dynamics,” Frontex head Hans Leijtens mentioned.