The number of illegal immigrants crossing the external borders of the European Union this year, until the end of last July, reached 176,100 people, most of whom came via the Mediterranean Sea.
The European Agency for Border and Coast Guard (Frontex) stated in a report today, Monday, that the number of crossings this year is the highest since the period between January and July of 2016.
Frontex added that it had detected 42,700 illegal immigrants at the borders of the Union in the past month alone, an increase of 19% over the same period in 2022, and this is the highest number since 2016.
According to the Agency’s report, the central region of the Mediterranean Sea accounts for the highest number of migrants in transit, with 89,074 people, as migrants arrive on boats from the coasts of Tunisia and Libya, in particular, to their first destination towards the Italian islands.
Data from the Italian Ministry of the Interior stated that the flows of illegal immigrants exceeded 96,300 people this month.
Source: National Iraqi News Agency