News

The number of irregular border crossings into the European Union fell by 39% to 139 847 in the first eight months of this year, according to preliminary data collected by Frontex.* The largest decreases in irregular border crossings were again recorded on the Western Balkans and Central Mediterranean routes, with 77% and 64%, respectively.

• Central Mediterranean saw a 64% drop (y/y) in irregular border crossings.

• Western Balkans also continued to show a strong decrease of -77%.

• Eastern Land Border and Western African route showed the highest rises of 193% and 123%, respectively.

• Top three nationalities this year: Syria, Mali, Afghanistan.

With 2,900 officers and staff deployed across the continent, Frontex continues to assist Member States in protecting the European Union's external borders.

The Central Mediterranean route continues with a significant downward trend in recent months. For the January-August period, this migratory route saw a 64% drop in crossings to 41 250.

The decrease in the Central Mediterranean is largely due to preventive measures taken by the Tunisian, Libyan and Turkish authorities. Another factor that may have reduced irregular migration flows on this route is the agreements signed by the EU and individual Member States with the main countries of last departure.

The Central Mediterranean remains the most active migratory route to the EU, but it is closely followed by the Eastern Mediterranean, which saw an increase of 39% to 37 163.

Criminal networks are highly adaptable and look for new ways to maximise their profits. In the Eastern Mediterranean with increased migratory pressure from Türkiye, smugglers are increasingly using speedboats to reach the Greek islands, which are harder to detect than rubber dinghies.

The number of detections on the Western Balkan route also continued to fall significantly in the first eight months of this year and was down as much as 77% to just over 14 669.

The West African route continued to record unprecedented numbers of detections. By the end of August, the total number of arrivals in the Canary Islands was more than 25 500, an increase of 123% in comparison with the same period last year.

The Eastern Land Borders continued to record high numbers of arrivals this year, increasing by 193% to reach some 11 270.

On the Channel route, the number of detections in the first eight months of 2024 increased by 13% to reach 41 078.

* Note: The preliminary data presented in this statement refer to the number of detections of irregular border crossing at the external borders of the European Union. The same person may cross the border several times in different locations at the external border.