The number of immigrants entering the European Union illegally dropped by 38 percent in 2024, the bloc’s border agency said on Tuesday.
However, the agency said that the number of people entering via the Belarusian and Russian frontiers jumped by 192 percent to 17,000.
Frontex, which is based in Warsaw, Poland, said the drop was thanks to intensified operations by the EU and partners against people-trafficking networks, with the main driver of the fall being the 59 percent reduction in arrivals via the Central Mediterranean route, which saw migrants mainly depart from Tunisia and Libya.
A 78 percent decrease was also seen along the Western Balkan route thanks to efforts by countries in the region to stem the flow, Frontex said.
However, there were increases in other areas, with a spike of 14 percent via the Eastern Mediterranean route driven by new corridors from eastern Libya, with a total of 69,400 illegal immigrants, predominantly from Syria, Afghanistan, and Egypt, making that journey.
There was also an 18 percent rise in the number of illegal immigrants taking the Western African route to reach the Canary Islands, with arrivals reaching almost 47,000 last year, largely driven by departures from Mauritania.
Detected crossings from mainland Europe to the UK via the English Channel were also found to be up by around 9 percent.
A breakdown of the demographics showed that the vast majority of the illegal immigrants were men, as in previous years, with just 10 percent of detected illegal immigrants being women.
The majority of those women, 62 percent, entered via the Eastern Mediterranean route, and of them, most were either Syrian or Afghan in origin.
The share of minors among illegal immigrants increased from 13 percent in 2023 to 16 percent last year.
In terms of fatalities, the International Organization for Migration estimates that 2,300 people lost their lives at sea attempting illegal crossings in 2024.
“Every year, we face unique challenges at our borders that require constant vigilance and adaptability. While 2024 saw a significant reduction in irregular border crossings, it also highlighted emerging risks and shifting dynamics,” Frontex Executive Director Hans Leijtens said.
Frontex also reported that authorities have seen increasing violence from smugglers along the Western Balkan route, while growing instability in regions such as the Sahel in Northern Africa continues to drive migrants to journey to Europe.
Illegal immigration has become a hot-button topic across the continent, with many political parties taking a more skeptical or hostile view of immigration gaining ground at local, national, and European levels.
Many other nations moved to introduce stricter controls and tougher policies last year, with Poland introducing tighter restrictions on asylum for those entering via its eastern border, while Germany recommenced deportations to Afghanistan and Syria following a spate of violent attacks by illegal immigrants.
