Illegal Migration Poses New Challenges on EU Borders

Illegal migration pressures have increased at most of the European Union’s external borders, with the exception of the migration routes in the Western Balkans and the central Mediterranean basin. On an annual basis, migration figures are down 38 percent, the EU’s border and coast protection agency Frontex said on Tuesday.

The year-on-year decline in EU migration figures has been significantly reduced by increased cooperation between the EU and its partners and joint action against human smuggling, according to Frontex. The drop in the figures was mainly due to a reduction in the number of operations in the central Mediterranean basin and on migration routes through the Western Balkans.

The competent authorities in EU Member States recorded just over 239,000 illegal border crossing attempts last year.

Although the 2024 aggregate figures show a decline, the fight against illegal migration remains challenging as smuggling networks adapt quickly to new circumstances, they warned. Authorities reported that smugglers on the Western Balkan route are becoming increasingly violent, and growing instability in regions such as the Sahel continues to fuel migration, they wrote.

In 2024, the number of irregular border crossings to the EU reached 239 000

This is 38% lower than in 2023 and lowest since 2021

Western Balkans and Central Med routes saw the biggest drops

⚠️ Western African route with record number of arrivals

Read more:… pic.twitter.com/eSutp57DTr

— Frontex (@Frontex) January 14, 2025

They stressed that sea crossings organized by criminal networks continue to pose an extreme threat to migrants. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) estimates that in 2024 alone, at least 2,300 people died in sea crossings.

According to the report, the proportion of women among migrants remains unchanged at 10 percent. The proportion of minors among illegal immigrants rose to 16 percent last year from 13 percent in 2023, they noted.

Syrian, Afghan and Malian nationals were recorded on most of the migration routes,

Frontex added in its 2024 annual report.

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The report quoted Frontex Executive Director Hans Leijtens as saying that the EU faces unique challenges at its external borders every year, which require constant vigilance and adaptability. Frontex and national border control authorities need to be ready and flexible to respond effectively to changing challenges.

According to Frontex’s 2024 report, the largest increase in irregular migration inflows, of 192% compared to the previous year, was reported by the competent authorities at the EU border with Belarus.

Between the beginning of January and the end of December, 17,001 border crossers tried to enter the European Union.

An annual decrease of 78% in illegal migration was recorded on the migration route via the Western Balkans, where 21,520 cases were detected by the competent authorities in 2024. The Central Mediterranean migratory route, which mainly involves Italy, saw 66,766 attempts to enter the EU last year. This is 59% below the figures recorded in 2023.

Fact

The Hungarian-Serbian border is on the Balkan route, therefore roughly affected by illegal migration. György Bakondi, Prime Minister’s chief advisor on homeland security, highlighted that last year, joint action by Hungarian and Serbian police led to the diversion of the route towards Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Slovenia, and Italy, but now “this seems to be changing.” This is shown by the fact that while in 2024, 39 border crossers were apprehended at the Serbian-Hungarian border in the first ten days of the year, this year, the number has risen to 381 in the same period. The chief advisor also noted that while previously there was a decrease in the number of arrivals in the winter period, this has not happened now, and the reason is that smugglers are more organized, have more modern equipment, significant financial resources and provide transport and accommodation for migrants, reports Hirado.hu.

Regarding the overall 2024 migration figures in Hungary, György Bakondi reported that almost 16,000 border crossers and 132 people smugglers were apprehended in Hungary in 2024, wrote Index.

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Via Frontex, Hirado.hu; Featured photo via Twitter/Sea-Watch International

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