EU Border Agency, Frontex, Witnesses Dramatic Decrease in Unauthorized Border Intrusions
The number of unconventional border passages into European Union nations has noticeably dropped, as per EU border agency Frontex. From January till the end of September, approximately 166,000 such border crossings were documented in the EU, Frontex revealed. This represents a 42% decrease compared to the same period in the previous year. However, there's been a notable surge at the eastern EU external borders.
The most significant reductions were observed in unconventional border crossings along the Western Balkan path and the central Mediterranean path. Some 17,000 potential asylum seekers traversed the Western Balkan path, marking a 79% decrease from the preceding year. On the central Mediterranean path, 47,700 unconventional border crossings were logged, a 64% decrease from the same period a year prior.
At the same time, there was a significant uptick in the number of entries via the West African route, primarily leading to the Canary Islands across the Atlantic. Around 30,600 unconventional border crossings were tallied in the initial nine months of the year, more than double the number from the same period last year. Frontex reported that the primary nations of origin for migrants with unlawful status at EU borders are Syria, Mali, and Ukraine.
The most substantial increase was noted at the eastern EU external borders with Poland and the Baltic states. With approximately 13,200 border crossings, there was a significant 192% increase compared to the same period last year.
The decrease in unconventional border crossings has also been evident among EU member states, such as those on the Western Balkan path and the central Mediterranean path, which experienced reductions of 79% and 64% respectively. However, the EU border agency Frontex has highlighted a significant surge at the eastern EU external borders, particularly in Poland and the Baltic states, with a more than doubled number of border crossings compared to the previous year.
