According to published preliminary estimates, around 330,000 irregular crossings were recorded at the outer boundaries of the block in 2022. friday By Frontex, the EU border agency.
This is the highest number since 2016 and a growth of 64 per cent by 2021, the report said.
Nearly half the crossings (145,600) came via the Western Balkans route – more than double the previous year. This route also showed the highest increase in crossings among the routes studied.
The term “Western Balkan route” refers to the corridor used by migrants to cross into the European Union. many countries In the Balkans, namely Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia.
Last year, Syrian, Afghan and Turkish nationals accounted for the majority of crossings, according to data collected by Frontex.
Syrians and Afghans were also among the most frequently reported nationalities on the Eastern Mediterranean route (crossings in Bulgaria, Cyprus and Greece), where the number of crossings doubled compared to 2021.
about 13 million Ukrainian refugees who were allowed special protection After the bloc fled its war-torn country and was counted separately, it also crossed EU borders in 2022. But less than a quarter of them were inside EU borders by the end of the year.
although there is broad support The EU’s unprecedented reception of Ukrainian refugees has prompted accusations, among Europeans, of support for the bloc of Ukraine. CasteismCritics pointed to differences in the treatment of Arab or African refugees.