The first quarter of 2015 saw the highest recorded numbers of detections of illegal border-crossing and illegal stay, highlights the latest FRAN (Frontex Risk Analysis Network) Quarterly report. In fact, detections of illegal border-crossing reached 62 000, which translates into a 180% increase when compared to the first quarter of 2014. Whilst the main routes used by migrants did not change, the distribution between particular border sections shifted.
For the first time, the highest migratory pressure was in the Western Balkans, at the border between Serbia and Hungary, where over 33 000 migrants entered the EU.
Two main factors contributed to this increase: a high number of nationals of Kosovo, and a significant increase in the number of migrants arriving in the Aegean islands from Turkey and then continuing their journey across the Western Balkans. Among the latter, non-regional migrants, Syrians and Afghans constituted the majority.
The first quarter also saw a record number of asylum requests, with over 181 000 applications filed across the EU. The majority of asylum applications were submitted in just three countries: Germany, Hungary and Italy.
Noteworthy is the increase in the number of migrants entering the EU hidden in lorries, buses and trains. In particular, there was an increase in the detection of migrants in Bulgaria hiding in cargo trains arriving from Turkey.
Although the number of detections of document fraud decreased slightly in comparison with the same period last year, migrants using fraudulent documents to enter the EU originated from more than 90 countries. Syrians, Moroccans and Nigerians constituted the majority. Lagos was the top embarkation airport for false document users, with over 180 fraudsters departing there.
In the Western Mediterranean, migration remained at a relatively low level but the number of detections at the land borders in Ceuta and Melilla quadrupled compared with the previous quarter.