Problems in the east

Fewer irregular border crossings into the EU

The number of irregular border crossings into European Union countries has fallen considerably, according to the EU border protection agency Frontex. Since the beginning of the year until the end of September, 166,000 such border crossings into the EU had been registered, Frontex explained in Warsaw on Tuesday. Compared to the same nine-month period last year, this represents a decrease of 42 percent. In contrast, there was a significant increase at the EU's eastern external borders.

According to the report, the biggest decreases were in irregular border crossings on the routes through the Western Balkans and across the Mediterranean. According to Frontex, around 17,000 potential asylum seekers arrived via the Balkan route - 79 percent fewer than in the previous year. On the central Mediterranean route, 47,700 irregular border crossings were registered, 64 percent fewer than in the same period last year.

Most from Syria, Mali and Ukraine
In contrast, there was a significant increase in the number of arrivals via the West African route, which mostly leads across the Atlantic to the Canary Islands. In the first nine months of the year, around 30,600 irregular border crossings into the EU were recorded here, twice as many as in the same period last year. According to Frontex, the three main countries of origin of migrants with irregular status at the EU borders are Syria, Mali and Ukraine.

The largest increase was recorded at the EU's eastern external borders with Poland and the Baltic states. With almost 13,200 border crossings, there was a significant increase of 192 percent compared to the same period last year.