In 2024, the European Union recorded its lowest level of irregular crossings since 2021, with a notable 38% decrease compared to previous years.
According to the EU’s border agency, Frontex, the total number of illegal entries into the EU was approximately 239,000, marking a significant reduction from past years.
Frontex attributed this decline mainly to a sharp fall in arrivals through the Central Mediterranean and the Western Balkans routes.
The Western Balkans, in particular, saw an 78% drop, thanks to effective measures taken by regional countries to curb migration.
Meanwhile, the Central Mediterranean route also experienced a 59% decrease, largely due to fewer departures from Tunisia and Libya.
However, some migration routes have seen increases. The Canary Islands experienced an 18% rise in arrivals, with nearly 47,000 migrants reaching the islands, the highest figure since Frontex started tracking data in 2009.
This increase is largely driven by migrants departing from Mauritania, as tighter Mediterranean controls have pushed asylum seekers to take the more dangerous route from West Africa to the Canaries.
Another significant rise was recorded at the EU’s eastern borders, particularly between Poland and Belarus, where Frontex observed a threefold increase in detections.
EU member states bordering Russia and Belarus have accused these countries of orchestrating migration flows as part of a strategy to destabilize the EU.
Frontex’s Executive Director Hans Leijtens noted that while the overall trend in irregular crossings is down, there are emerging risks and shifting dynamics, including adaptive smuggling networks and increasing violence along certain routes, such as the Western Balkans.
