Filenews 12 August 2023
Irregular crossings of migrants and refugees through the Eastern Mediterranean migration corridor decreased by 29% in the first seven months of 2023 compared to the period from January to July 2022, according to preliminary estimates released by Frontex.
Specifically, in July 2023, 3,403 irregular crossings were detected in the Eastern Mediterranean, while in the first seven months of the year a total of 17,054 arrivals were recorded. Most migrants and refugees registered in the first seven months of the year in the region came from Syria, Palestine and Afghanistan.
Arrivals on all migratory routes decreased compared to last year, except in the Central Mediterranean, where an increase of 115% was recorded, and which remains the main migratory route to the EU and accounts for more than half of all detections at EU borders.
Unfortunately, sea crossings remain extremely dangerous, as according to data from the International Organization for Migration, more than 2,060 people disappeared in the Mediterranean between January and July, the vast majority on the Central Mediterranean route.
In total, in the Central Mediterranean, national authorities detected over 89,000 crossings in the first seven months of 2023. This is the highest number on this route for this period since 2017.
Increased migratory pressure in the Central Mediterranean is expected to continue in the coming months as smugglers offer lower prices for migrants departing from Libya and Tunisia amid fierce competition between criminal groups.
Decreases were recorded in the migration routes of the Western Mediterranean (down 2%), the Western Balkans (down 26%) and the EU's eastern land territories (down 15%).
However, due to the large increase in the Central Mediterranean, the total number of irregular crossings detected at the EU's external borders in the first seven months of 2023 reached 176,100 (an increase of 13% on last year), the highest total recorded for this period since 2016.
In July, almost 42,700 irregular crossings were detected at the EU's external borders, up 19% on the previous year.
CNA
