The number of illegal immigrants detected at the external borders of the European Union from the beginning of this year to the end of August has reached the highest level recorded since 2016.
According to preliminary data revealed by the European Border and Coast Guard Agency Frontex, in the first eight months of this year, there were almost 188,200 irregular entries at the bloc’s external borders, marking an increase of 75 percent compared to the same period last year.
While in the month of August alone, around 32,800 illegal crossings were registered, also marking an increase compared to the same month of 2021, of 35 percent.
“The Western Balkan route continues to be the most active migration route in the EU with 15,900 detections in August, 141 percent more than last year. The high number of illegal border crossings can be attributed to the repeated crossing attempts by migrants already present in the Western Balkans”, emphasized in a press release issued by Frontex on September 9.
Also, it is emphasized that the Central Mediterranean route continues to face the pressure of the high number of irregular arrivals.