Talking about an “invasion” is not as inappropriate as some claim. The latest data from Frontex, the European Border and Coast Guard, report a phenomenon that fits exactly this definition. In the first eight months of 2023, from January to August, the irregular transitions of migrants on the route of Central Mediterranean – by far the most popular – were 114,265 people: +96% compared to the same period last year. The highest figure since 2016. In August alone, 25,152 irregular arrivals were recorded on the same Mediterranean route, half of the 56,900 detected across Europe.
The monthly bulletin from Frontex shows a picture that perfectly describes what is happening in Europe, with dramatic consequences at the gates to our country. At the European level, 232,500 irregular border crossings have been detected so far, the data set since 2016, an increase of 18% compared to the previous year. According to Frontex, the increase was mainly due to the number of arrivals in the central Mediterranean, along the route of which flows doubled. In its report, the European agency also cites data from the IOM (International Organization for Migration), according to which there are unfortunately 2,235 missing people in the Mediterranean so far Shipwrecks.
We know well how these numbers were translated into reality: the news about collapsing hotspots and reception systems being put to the test has made it eloquently clear to us. Without forgetting the devastating news of maritime tragedies. And the prognosis for them Future They are not the most encouraging. According to Frontex, the increase is in Migration pressure on the central Mediterranean route could continue in the coming months, favored by the phenomenon human traffickers which offer lower prices for migrants leaving Libya and Tunisia, in a context of fierce competition between them criminal groups. This further shows what the Meloni government has always supported: that the issue of landings is closely linked to the issue of human trafficking and illegality.
At the moment this year is the most arrivals other routes Migration recorded annual declines ranging from 5% on the West Africa route to 19% on the route Western Balkans. In the January-August period, the Western Balkans route, the second most active route with over 70,550 detections, saw a 19% decline, largely due to more restrictive visa requirements. The number of irregular Channel crossings to the UK reached almost 9,000 in August, bringing the total for the first eight months of 2023 to 36,250, down 13% on the same period last year.
The report makes it clear how the Sea crossings are absolutely the most dangerous and at the same time the most haunting. extremely dangerous. More than 2,325 people have disappeared in the Mediterranean this year, the vast majority along the central Mediterranean route, according to IOM data. So while Italy is facing record numbers, a LampedusaFrontex data highlights another paradox: that of oneEurope still remains standing memorandum agrees with Tunisia and goes further in promoting concrete Community measures to combat irregular immigration. However, at the internal level, the Meloni government has already been fighting to stop human trafficking in the Mediterranean in recent months, but has been accused of meanness by progressives and NGOs.