The number of people entering the European Union without proper documentation has decreased further, with a reported 18% drop in the first seven months of this year, according to the European Border and Coast Guard Agency, Frontex.
Frontex’s preliminary figures indicate 95,200 irregular crossings from January to July, mainly by individuals travelling through the Mediterranean. The eastern route around Greece saw decreased traffic, although a new path has emerged from Eastern Libya to Crete. Conversely, western sea routes have witnessed increased use.
There has been a significant decline in the number of people entering Europe via the Western Balkans, and the eastern land borders with Belarus, Moldova, Ukraine, and Russia, as well as through the Canary Islands.
The number of crossings towards the United Kingdom recorded the most substantial increase, rising by 26% compared to the same period last year, involving over 41,000 individuals.
Most of the individuals tracked in the Frontex data originate from Bangladesh, Egypt, and Afghanistan, with different groups using different routes.
The Mediterranean route remains perilous, with the United Nations migration organisation IOM reporting 949 people missing and presumed dead this year. The majority disappeared on the central route, where many travel from Libya towards Italy. Frontex recorded 36,683 crossings on this route.
