FRONTEX: 57,800 illegal migrants have been detected at EU external borders

Source: Schengen Visa Info

The number of illegal migrants detected at the EU borders by the standing corps officers of the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex) has spiked up in the four first months of 2022, compared to the same period last year.

In a press release issued by Frontex on Monday, May 16, it is noted that around 57,800 illegal migrants have been detected at the EU external borders, which is an increase of 69 percent in total compared to last year. In April alone, were registered approximately 15,000 illegal arrivals, which is 79 percent more than in April 2021.

According to Frontex, during this period, the highest number of migrants were detected at the following migratory routes:

-Western Balkan route – where an increase of 130 percent was detected this year (27,172 illegal crossings) compared to last year

-Eastern Mediterranean route – marking an increase of 86 percent, with 9,109 illegal migrants detected, over half of them in Cyprus

-Central Mediterranean route – 9,300 illegal crossings, which is a low increase of only four percent compared to the first four months of 2021

While the majority of migrants detected at the Western Balkan route were Syrians and Afghans, those stopped by Frontex troops at the Eastern Mediterranean route were mainly from Syria, Nigeria, and Congo. On the other hand, Egyptians, Bangladeshis, and Tunisians represented the main nationalities detected on the Central Mediterranean route.

“On the Eastern land border route, Frontex registered 1,683 irregular crossings, over five times more than last year. The main nationalities on this route were nationals of Ukraine, Iraq and Belarus,” the press release notes.

It further reveals that the number of irregular migrants attempting to cross the Channel in their bid to reach the United Kingdom increased by 160 percent, with 12,800 migrants detected by Frontex, the majority of them from Afghanistan, Syria, and Iran.

The number of refugees fleeing Ukraine is not part of the figures for illegal entries detected.

Last week SchengenVisaInfo.com reported that more than six million refugees have fled Ukraine since the war started. Over three million of them have entered Poland, whereas another million are in the non-EU country of Moldova.

“While in the first ten days of the war about 125,000 people crossed EUs borders, now the number dropped to 34,000 daily,” a Frontex statement regarding the number of Ukrainian refugees in the EU notes.

Whereas data by the UNHCS show that up until May 15, 6,223,821 have left the country, heading to their neighboring countries, Poland, Romania, Russia, Hungary, Moldova, Slovakia, and Belarus.