Migrants flow to EU decreased in 2024, but arrivals from Russia and Belarus rose

The number of migrants entering the European Union illegally decreased by a total of 38% in 2024, reaching its lowest level since 2021. This was reported by the EU border agency Frontex.

“New preliminary data from Frontex show a significant 38% decrease in the number of illegal border crossings with the EU in 2024, reaching the lowest level since 2021, when migration was still affected by the COVID pandemic,” the agency said in a statement.

However, the number of people crossing the EU’s borders with Belarus and Russia jumped by 192% to 17,000, Frontex reports.

Significant numbers of migrants or asylum seekers also came from Syria, Afghanistan, Egypt, and African countries, even though routes to the EU have changed.

Illegal migration has become a key issue in European politics, as many far-right and populist parties have used it in recent and upcoming elections, including in Germany next month, promising to crack down on migration.

Frontex said that the decline in illegal border crossings to just over 239,000 last year was due to increased cooperation between the EU and partners in the fight against smuggling networks.

According to Frontex, the overall reduction in illegal migration was mainly due to a sharp drop of 59% in the number of arrivals via the Central Mediterranean route due to fewer departures from Tunisia and Libya and 78% on the Western Balkan route due to the determined efforts of the countries in the region to stem the flow of migrants.

Simultaneously, attempts to illegally cross the border on the eastern Mediterranean route through new corridors from eastern Libya, where migrants from Syria, Afghanistan, and Egypt predominate, increased by 14%.

The number of migrants traveling via the West African route to the Canary Islands has also increased by 18%: last year, their number reached almost 47,000, which was due to the departure from Mauritania.

According to earlier reports, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson thinks the European Union might propose the creation of “return centers” as early as March to expedite the deportation of illegal migrants.

EU leaders announced in October that they were considering a framework under which centers in safe countries outside the EU could receive migrants who do not have the right to stay in the EU.

Some member states are already discussing proposals to deport some asylum seekers to third countries.