Frontex: Explosive increase of illegal immigrants in the EU by 82%

The number of people who entered the European Union illegally from January to May increased to 86,420, or by 82% compared to the corresponding period last year, announced yesterday Monday o European Border and Coast Guard Agency (FRONTEX).

In May, the number of irregular entries increased by 75% year-on-year to 23,500, according to an announcement by FRONTEX, which is still publishing preliminary data.

The agency clarifies that Ukrainian refugees, who enter the EU mainly through land border crossings, are not included in these calculations.

FRONTEX notes that they have entered the territory of the EU from Ukraine and Moldova 5.5 million nationals of the war-torn country after the Russian military invasion began on 24 February.

More than 40,000 of the irregular entries, twice as many as in the same five months last year, were recorded via the so-called Western Balkans Road, which is followed mainly by Syrians and Afghan refugees.

Its sea route central Mediterranean took over 16,000 migrants, mostly from Egypt, Bangladesh and Tunisia.

The number of irregular entrances through the eastern Mediterranean was 13,000 and more, an increase of 116% compared to last year.

In Cyprus, they increased by 213% and represent two in three irregular entrances through this route.

Most of the migrants who followed her are nationals of Nigeria, Syria and the DRC.

At the EU’s eastern border, the number of illegal crossings has more than quadrupled since the beginning of the year to 2,155. Most of the migrants who followed this route were Ukrainians, Iraqis and Belarusians.

Irregular crossings in both directions in the Channel increased by 122% compared to 2021, according to FRONTEX.