At the eastern border of the European Union, the number of illegal border crossings has more than quadrupled since the beginning of the year.
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Posted on 6/13/2022 6:37 PM Updated on 6/13/2022 7:29 PM
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The number of irregular entries into the European Union rose by 82 percent between January and May compared to the same period last year, the European border protection agency Frontex announced on Monday (June 13). Registrations in the month of May rose 75% year-on-year to 23,500, according to a press release that released preliminary data.
The agency clarified that Ukrainian refugees entering the European Union through border crossings were not included in these calculations. According to Frontex, 5.5 million Ukrainian citizens have entered the EU from Ukraine and Moldova since the Russian invasion began in February.
At the eastern border of the European Union, the number of illegal border crossings has more than quadrupled to 2155 since the beginning of the year. The most important nationalities on this route were Ukrainian, Iraqi and Belarusian nationals. More than 40,000 irregular entries were recorded via the Balkan route, which is mainly used by Syrian and Afghan migrants, three times more than in the same period last year.
The Central Mediterranean route was used by more than 16,000 migrants, mostly of Egyptian, Bangladeshi and Tunisian origin. The number of irregular crossings in the Eastern Mediterranean rose by 116% year-on-year to over 13,000.
In Cyprus they increased by 213% and accounted for two out of every three illegal crossings on this route. Most migrants came from Nigeria, Syria and Congo. According to Frontex, crossings on both sides of the English Channel have increased by 122% compared to 2021.