Illegal immigration into EU drops in first 9 months of 2024
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – The number of illegal border crossings into the European Union decreased by 42 percent, totaling 166,000 in the first nine months of 2024, an EU agency said on Tuesday.
The European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex) said the top three nationalities of immigrants were Syrians, Malians, and Ukrainians.
The largest reductions in crossings occurred on the Western Balkan route (down by 79 percent) and the Central Mediterranean route (down by 64 percent).
The Central Mediterranean route has seen a significant decline in immigrant arrivals in 2024, with a 64 percent drop to 47,700 from January to September.
In contrast, the Eastern Mediterranean route experienced a 15 percent increase in arrivals during the same period, totaling 45,600.
In September, the Eastern Mediterranean became the most active route, registering 6,750 detections, while the Central Mediterranean recorded 5,600 detections.