Frontex, the European Border and Coast Guard Agency, has released new preliminary data showing a significant decrease in irregular border crossings into the EU in 2024, with a 38% drop compared to the previous year. This brings the total number of detections to just over 239,000, the lowest level since 2021, when migration was still affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to Frontex, the decrease in irregular border crossings is largely attributed to intensified EU and partner cooperation against smuggling networks, which has led to a significant reduction in crossings at Europe’s external borders.
Route-specific trends
While some routes saw a sharp decline in crossings, others experienced an increase. Key developments include:
- Central Mediterranean route: Crossings dropped by 59% due to fewer departures from Tunisia and Libya, but still accounted for around 67,000 crossings, the second-highest among all routes.
- Western Balkan route: A sharp 78% fall followed strong efforts by regional authorities to stem irregular migration.
- Eastern Mediterranean route: Detections rose by 14% to 69,400, driven by new corridors from eastern Libya, with migrants predominantly from Syria, Afghanistan, and Egypt.
- Western Mediterranean and Atlantic routes: The Canary Islands saw an 18% increase in arrivals to almost 47,000, the highest figure since Frontex began collecting data in 2009, fuelled by departures from Mauritania.
- Eastern Borders: Crossings increased by 192% mostly along the borders with Ukraine and Belarus, amounting to 17,001 as reported.
- English Channel: Detections of attempted crossings to the UK rose slightly, up 9% compared to 2023.
Demographic insights
A closer look at demographics shows that the share of women among migrants remained steady at just over 10%. Notably, 62% of all women arriving at EU borders entered through the Eastern Mediterranean route. Afghan and Syrian women made up the majority of this group.
The share of minors among irregular migrants increased last year to 16% from 13% in 2023.
Challenges ahead
While the 2024 irregular migration figures reflect progress, challenges remain. Smuggling networks adapt to new circumstances, and migration patterns can shift quickly. Authorities reported increasing violence by smugglers along the Western Balkan route. Moreover, the sharp rise in irregular crossings along the Eastern land border could represent a worrying potential trend.
