Frontex: Illegal Entries via Balkan Route Drop by Half

Iillegal migrants (BETAPHOTO/INTERIOR MINISTRY/)

In the first six months of this year, the number of illegal entries or attempted entries into EU countries was one fifth less compared with the same period last year, and the largest drop in the number of illegal migrations into the EU was registered at the Western Balkan route, the European Agency for Border and Costal Protection (Frontex) announced on July 10.

According to the preliminary data of Frontex, the total number of illegal entries via all migrant routes has dropped by 20 percent, to 75,900, mainly thanks to a reduction of the numbers at the otherwise most frequent routes – East Mediterranean and West African. The biggest reduction of the number of illegal crossings of external EU border, 52 percent, was registered at the Western Balkan route, followed by 50 percent via the eastern borders of the Union and by 41 percent via the West African route, from the coast of West Africa to the Spanish Canary Islands.

In the first six months, Frontex registered 4,930 attempts of illegal entry via the Western Balkan route.

On the land and maritime east Mediterranean route, by which migrants, mainly from Syria, arrive in Greece, Cyprus and Bulgaria, a reduction of 24 percent was registered, with 19,607 crossings of the EU border.