The number of illegal entries into the EU has increased significantly in September, the majority of migrants following the Eastern Mediterranean route, according to statistics revealed by the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex) on Wednesday.
Arrivals through the main routes have increased by 14%, compared to September last year, with 17,200 recorded border crossings.
But despite this recent rise, the agency stated that the total detected illegal entries dropped to 88,200 in the first three quarters of 2019, a decrease of 19% compared to the same period last year.
The increase between August and September is mainly on the Greek islands in the Aegean Sea, according to Frontex. More than 11,500 have been detected on this route east of the Mediterranean Sea — 16% more than last year in August.
Since the beginning of the year, at least 1,041 men, women and children have died trying to cross the Mediterranean, according to the latest report of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) released early in October.
The Brussels Times
