European Union: Frontex reports high increase in illegal entries

Warsaw - The EU border protection agency Frontex has reported a sharp increase in illegal entries via the Balkan route. Between January and May, the number of illegal border crossings at the south-eastern borders of Europe almost tripled compared to the same period last year.

Within the first half of the year, more than 40,000 migrants, mainly from Afghanistan and Syria, are said to have reached the EU in this way . This is an increase of 167 percent compared to the same period last year.

Frontex records doubling of border crossings in May
In May alone there was a doubling to 12,088 illegal border crossings via the Balkan route. Overall, Frontex registered 86,420 illegal immigrants in the first five months of the year, half of them came via the said route.

The EU authority gave no explanation for the significant increase. However, it said that most of the migrants who came via the Western Balkans had probably been in the region for a long time and had now entered the country.

Entry attempts via the English Channel are also increasing
According to Frontex, the number of illegal entry attempts via the eastern Mediterranean, i.e. via Turkey, Cyprus and Greece, has also increased. Almost 13,700 attempts were registered there – an increase of 116 percent. Most migrants on the Eastern Mediterranean route came from Syria, Nigeria and Congo.

Attempts to enter Great Britain illegally via the English Channel have also increased significantly . According to Frontex, it registered more than 17,200 cases between January and May, which corresponds to an increase of 122 percent compared to the same period last year.

Source: Junge Freiheit