Frontex: Flows to Europe decreased by 39% - Most migrants from Syria, Mali and Afghanistan
Criminal organizations smuggling migrants are adapting their tactics to evade Frontex 's strict patrols , increasingly using more sophisticated means to evade capture. According to data from the European Border and Coast Guard Agency published yesterday Friday (13/9) in the first eight months of 2024, although overall detections decreased by 39% in the countries of the European Union, an increase of 39% was observed in the eastern Mediterranean.
Frontex: Flows to Europe decreased by 39% - Most migrants from Syria, Mali and Afghanistan
In particular, as Frontex points out in its report, the number of irregular crossings to the European Union decreased by 39% to 139,847 in the first eight months of this year . The largest reductions in irregular border crossings, based on preliminary data, were again recorded in the Western Balkans and Central Mediterranean Routes, with 77% and 64%, respectively.
From the data it appears that Syria, Mali, Afghanistan are the three countries from which a greater percentage of their inhabitants try to cross to European territory. With 2,900 officers and staff across the continent, Frontex continues to help Member States protect the external borders of the European Union.
The most important findings
The crossing through the Mediterranean sea, although it remains one of the main migratory routes in the January-August period, was reduced by 64% in the first 8 months of the year , reaching 41,250. The decrease is mainly due to the security measures taken by the authorities of Tunisia, Libya and Turkiye. 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 Eastern Mediterranean, which saw a 39% increase to 37,163 crossings. Criminal networks are highly adaptive and look for new ways to maximize their profits. In the eastern Mediterranean, with increased migratory pressure from Turkiye, smugglers are increasingly using high-speed boats to reach the Greek islands, which are harder to track than inflatable boats.
The number of detections on the Western Balkans route also continued to decline significantly in the first eight months of the year, falling by 77% to just over 14,669 crossings.
The West African route continued to record record numbers of detections. By the end of August, the total number of arrivals in the Canary Islands was over 25,500, an increase of 123% compared to the same period last year.
The eastern land border continued to record a high number of arrivals this year, up 193% to around 11,270 crossings.
On the Channel route, the number of detections in the first eight months of 2024 increased by 13%, reaching 41,078 crossings.
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