Irregular arrivals into the EU fell 21% between January and August

Irregular entries into the European Union (EU) decreased by 21% between January and August this year, compared to the same period in 2024, reaching 112,375, according to preliminary data from Frontex released this Friday.

According to the European Border and Coast Guard Agency, this decline was driven by decreases in irregular crossings on the Western Balkans route (-47%, to 7,856), the Eastern land border route (-44%, to 6,530), and the West African route (-52%, to 12,147). The Western Mediterranean route saw a 22% increase in irregular crossings, with the Greek island of Crete, meanwhile, experiencing a rise of over 310%.

The Western Mediterranean route, on the other hand, showed a year-on-year increase of 22% to 11,791 in the first eight months of the year, with a sharp increase in August.

The most frequently registered nationalities were Bangladeshi, Egyptian and Afghan.