Skopje, 13 July 2024 (MIA) - The number of irregular border crossings into the European Union in the first six months of 2024, according to Frontex data, fell by almost a third to roughly 94,000 compared to the corresponding period in 2023, Hina reports. 

Among the main migratory routes, the Western Balkans and the Central Mediterranean recorded the largest decreases in detections of irregular border crossings, while the West African and the Eastern Land Border have seen the largest increases. Top three nationalities on all routes this year include Syria, Mali, Afghanistan.

The number of detected irregular crossings on the Western Balkan route has decreased by as much as 72 percent, and the Central Mediterranean route, which recorded the highest number of irregular crossings a year ago, saw a drop of 61 percent. Despite this, it remained the most active route this year with almost 26,000 detections. 

Meanwhile, the Western African route continued to record unprecedented numbers of detections, with the total of irregular migrants arriving in the Canary Islands in the first half of the year increasing by 174 percent year-on-year to almost 20,000. 

The second most active migratory route in the first half of the year was the Eastern Mediterranean, where the number of arrivals increased by 75 percent to almost 25,000. 

In the first six months of 2024, there was also a significant increase in irregular border crossings at the Eastern Land Borders, with a sharp rise of 148 percent to over 6,700. A vast majority of the people detected on this route were Ukrainian nationals. 

Frontex points out that with more than 2,900 officers and staff engaged in various operations, it remains committed to protecting the EU's external borders.

Photo: MIA archive