Decrease in European Illegal Immigration Numbers from Previous Year
Even though there has been a decline in unauthorized entries through the Mediterranean, there has been a rise in arrivals through the Atlantic to the Canary Islands.
Illegal immigration to the European Union has decreased overall in the first eight months of this year, according to the latest UN data.
However, there has been an increase in arrivals to Spain’s Canary Islands located off the African Coast, which is increasingly being used as a stepping stone to mainland Europe.
Migration, whether legal or illegal, has been a significant political issue across the continent for several years, with many parties in various nations gaining support for stricter immigration control policies, and the EU itself implementing tighter measures.
According to official figures from the UN International Organization for Migration (IOM), illegal crossings over the southern borders of the EU have decreased by 35 percent from January to August.
So far this year, almost 115,000 migrants have arrived unlawfully into the EU via Mediterranean and Atlantic routes, compared to 176,252 during the same period last year, as per the latest data from September 9.
Data from Frontex, the EU’s border and coast guard agency, also indicates that unauthorized crossings of southern borders have fallen by 39 percent overall compared to last year.
“The emergency is not numerical this year, nor was it last year,” said Flavio di Giacomo, a spokesperson with the IOM office for the Mediterranean, to The Associated Press.
The most commonly used illegal migrant route is from North Africa, across the Central Mediterranean to Italy.
Experts suggest that the decrease in migrant arrivals in Italy is a result of an EU-supported crackdown in Tunisia and Libya, along with the Italian government impounding ships facilitating migrant crossings.
In the Eastern Mediterranean, another popular route, smuggling networks are using speedboats to bypass controls and targeting islands further from the Turkish coast in the central Aegean, according to Greek authorities.
The number of migrants arriving in Greece during the first eight months of this year has risen by 57 percent, both by sea and overland, according to UN data.
Meanwhile, illegal migration from West Africa to the Canary Islands via the Atlantic, the third most used route, has more than doubled, with over 25,500 migrants—mostly from Mali, Senegal, and other West African countries—arriving on the islands by the end of August, according to the UN.
Authorities in Spain are on alert for autumn, when conditions in the Atlantic Ocean are most favorable for the journey, although the perceived danger has not deterred potential migrants so far.
Adult migrants who successfully reach the Canaries usually move on to mainland Spain and other parts of the continent.
However, the influx of unaccompanied minors, who must be taken in by the local government under Spanish law, has led to extreme overcrowding in shelters, causing a political crisis on the islands and in Madrid.
Earlier this year, island leaders tried to have other regions of Spain share the responsibility of these unaccompanied minors, but were unsuccessful.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez of Spain recently visited Senegal, Mauritania, and The Gambia to address the migration issue, signing agreements to promote work opportunities and vocational training for Senegalese nationals, and increasing police cooperation to curb migration.
Despite the decrease in unauthorized migrants entering Southern Europe, there has been a rise in illicit crossings to the UK via the English Channel compared to 2023.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
