Frontex Reports Sharp Drop in Irregular Migration from Morocco to EU

In total, more than 155,090 irregular entries were recorded in the European Union (EU) between January and July on the Balkans route, an increase of 86% compared to the same period last year, Frontex said in a statement. More than 14,866 irregular entries were recorded via the same route in July 2022, nearly three times more than in July of last year.

Migrants using the Balkans route are mainly from Syria (fleeing the war), Afghanistan (trying to escape the Taliban) and Turkey. In total, more than 42,500 migrants used the central Mediterranean route between January and July, an increase of 44% compared to the first seven months of last year.

Irregular migration flows from Morocco have decreased in recent months. This is evidenced by the 25% decrease in the number of irregular immigrants crossing the western Mediterranean. This decrease is notably due to the reconciliation between Rabat and Madrid and the strengthening of their partnership.

It should be noted that Frontex did not take into account Ukrainian refugees entering the EU through border crossings.