Irregular crossings increase in the western Mediterranean: Frontex report
The European border surveillance agency, Frontex, has revealed significant figures regarding migratory movement at the borders of the European Union during the first seven months of the year. While the general trend on the continent shows a decrease in unauthorized entries, the Western Mediterranean route, specifically in the Strait of Gibraltar area, has experienced a notable increase.
According to the official report, this area recorded a 37% increase in irregular entries, totaling 11,217 crossings. This growth is broken down into 8,648 arrivals by sea and 2,569 by land, considerably exceeding the figures recorded in the same period of the previous year.
Migration landscape in Europe
Despite the rebound in the Strait of Gibraltar, the European Union’s global data maintains a downward trajectory. Compared to the previous year, irregular crossing attempts at the external borders have decreased by 37%, standing at approximately 61,000 cases. Other migratory routes have shown considerable reductions:
- West African route to the Canary Islands: A 60% drop was recorded, with 4,682 arrivals.
- Central Mediterranean to Italy: Irregular migration decreased by 55%, with 16,454 intercepted attempts.
- Eastern Mediterranean: Although it remains the route with the highest figure, reaching 20,232 interceptions, it showed a 28% decrease.
The general decline in irregular migratory flows responds to a combination of factors, highlighting sustained cooperation with partner countries and the implementation of effective preventive measures at the points of origin of migrants and asylum seekers.
Alofoke Deportes
It is important to note that these statistics do not include the extraordinary events that occurred in the Spanish enclave of Ceuta at the end of June, which are analyzed independently by the oversight body due to their exceptional nature.
