In the first three months of 2023, the number of irregular border crossings reported by national EU authorities increased to 54, 000, 26 percent more than in the same period last year.
The Central Mediterranean and Western Balkan routes remain the most active, Frontex, European Border and Coast Guard Agency, Frontex, said in a press release Wednesday.
In March, more than 22, 500 irregular border crossings were detected at EU?’s external borders, 60 percent more than a year ago, it noted.
Organised crime groups took advantage of better weather and political volatility in some countries of departure to try to smuggle as many migrants as possible across the Central Mediterranean from Tunisia and Libya, it said.
Nationals of Syria, Cote d?’Ivoire and Guinea account for the largest number of detections, it added.
Source: Kuwait News Agency