Despite an overall decline, the number of people crossing the border from Belarus and Russia jumped 192 percent.
The number of people entering the European Union through irregular crossings has fallen by almost 40% in 2024, according to the bloc’s border agency Frontex.
Preliminary data reveals a significant 38% drop in irregular border crossings to the EU in 2024, “reaching the lowest level since 2021, when migration was still affected by the COVID pandemic”, Frontex said in a communicated Tuesday.
However, despite the decline in the overall number of migrants, the eastern end of the EU saw an increase in irregular crossings last year.
Frontex said the drop to just over 239,000 irregular border crossings last year was due to increased cooperation from the EU and its partners against smuggling networks.
The biggest drop was recorded along the route through the Western Balkans, with a 78 percent drop that Frontex attributed to “vigorous efforts by countries in the region to stem the flow.”
The border agency added that irregular entries detected via the central Mediterranean fell by 59 percent due to “fewer departures from Tunisia and Libya.”
Despite this decrease, the route still accounts for around 67,000 crossings, the second highest among all routes after the Eastern Mediterranean route, the statement added.
Notable increases
The number of people crossing the EU’s borders with Belarus and Russia jumped 192 percent to 17,000.
EU states in the bloc’s east have accused the two countries of pushing thousands of people across their borders in recent years as part of a campaign to destabilize Europe.
Irregular migration has become a key issue in European politics with many far-right and populist parties campaigning in recent and upcoming elections, including in Germany next month.
At the same time, there were 14 percent more cases, to 69,400, of irregular border crossing attempts on the Eastern Mediterranean route, driven by new corridors from the eastern Mediterranean. Libya, with people mainly from Syria, Afghanistan and Egypt.
There has also been an 18 percent increase in the number of refugees and migrants using the West African route to reach the Canary Islands, with arrivals reaching almost 47,000 last year, fueled by departures from Mauritania.
“Even though 2024 saw a significant reduction in irregular border crossings, it also highlighted emerging risks and changing dynamics,” said Frontex Director Hans Leijtens.
“Frontex and border authorities across Europe must remain ready and flexible to effectively address these evolving challenges. »
