113,400 people have attempted to reach the European Union countries in an irregular way in the first seven months of 2024, accounting for a decrease of 36 per cent compared to the figures from the same period in 2023.
Such conclusions have been reached in the recent report of the European Border and Coast Guard Agency, Frontex, Schengen.News reports.
According to Frontex, in the first seven months of this year, the biggest drops in irregular border crossings were noted in the Western Balkans and Central Mediterranean routes, at 75 per cent and 64 per cent, more specifically.
Central Mediterranean Remains the Most Active Route in EU
The most significant decrease in irregular border crossing attempts for a period from January until July this year was seen in the Central Mediterranean route. However, in spite of the notable decline, this route continues to remain the most active one in the EU.
The Central Mediterranean remains the most active migratory route to the EU. This year’s decrease can be attributed mainly to preventive measures by the Tunisian and Libyan authorities to disrupt the activities of smugglers. Arrivals from those two countries account for 95 per cent of all migrants reported on the Central Mediterranean route.
At the same time, Frontex revealed that the number of detections at the Western Balkan route continued to decline in the first seven months of 2024, and it was down by 75 per cent, to just over 12,400.
Surge in Number of Irregular Border Crossings Through Western African Route
In contrast, the Western African route experienced a surge in the number of detections. The number of irregular migrants reaching the Canary Islands for a period from January-July increased by 154 per cent year-on-year to more than 21,600.
The second most active migratory route, in the first seven months of this year, according to Frontex, was the Eastern Mediterranean route, with the number of arrivals increasing by 57 per cent to about 29,700.
The Eastern Land Borders continued to note a significant number of arrivals this year with a 195 per cent increase to around 9,500. On the Channel route, the number of detections in the first seven months of 2024 increased by 22 per cent to reach 33,183.
2023’s figures revealed that irregular border crossings to EU Member States reached the highest levels since 2016, with a total of 380,000 detections being registered in 2023.
The figures provided by Frontex last year revealed that in 2023, the number of irregular border crossings was up by 17 per cent from the figures registered in 2022.