Western Balkan Highly Affected by Illegal Border Crossings This Year, Frontex Reveals
According to a press release issued by the European Border and Coast Guard Agency, Frontex, between January and May, 86,420 illegal border crossings were recorded in EU’s borders, marking an 82 per cent increase compared to the previous year, AtoZSerwisPlus.com reports.
Additionally, 5.5 million Ukrainians have entered the EU Member States since the Russian invasion occurred in February, as Frontex reveals, but those numbers are not part of these figures.
The highest number of illegal border crossings was recorded in the Western Balkan route, which saw 40,675 detections, representing half of the total number of illegalities recorded in the EU – also being up by three times compared to 2021.
Syrians and Afghans were the main nationalities to illegally enter the EU in the first half of the year, with the majority of them recorded being detected reportedly being in the Western Balkans before attempting to enter the EU.
The Central Mediterranean route counted 16,828 illegal border crossings – 15 per cent more than in the previous year, with the main nationality groups being Egyptians, Bangladeshi and Tunisians. In addition, the number of detections recorded in May was close to last year’s same month levels, standing at 6,066.
The Eastern Mediterranean route experienced a 116 per cent increase from last year, peaking at 13,668 illegal border crossings recorded. The illegalities were specially recorded in Cyprus, being up by 213 per cent compared to the previous year, and represented two out of every three illegal border crossings on this route.
Most migrants came from Nigeria, Syria and Congo, and the number of irregular migrants reached 2,226 – 55 per cent more than in the same month last year.
Furthermore, the Eastern border recorded 2,155 illegal border crossings in the first five months of the year, increasing more than four times compared to the previous year. The main nationalities on this route were nationals of Ukraine, Iraq and Belarus.
As per the numbers in May, there were 207 detections recorded, 67 per cent more than in the same month last year.
The Channel route, headed from France towards the United Kingdom, has increased by 122 per cent compared to 2021, with this route being active mainly between June and November. In 2022, over 46 different nationalities have been recorded in this route, with an increasing number of Albanian nationals noticed since the middle of April.
