Frontex: 39% increase in illegal immigrant flows to Greece in 2024

The European Border and Coast Guard Agency, Frontex, reports an increase in illegal migration flows from Turkey to the Greek islands during the first eight months of 2024, with 37,163 people crossing the borders illegally. Despite this trend, other areas of Europe have seen a decrease in migration flows.

According to the Frontex report, criminal organizations involved in migrant smuggling are adjusting their tactics to avoid strict patrols by Greek authorities, increasingly using speedboats to evade capture.

While there has been a decrease in the Central Mediterranean, the Eastern Mediterranean has seen a 39% increase, with a total of 37,163 people crossing the borders during the same period. Smuggling networks are quickly adapting, employing new methods to increase their profits.

In the Eastern Mediterranean, where migratory pressure is increasing, smugglers are increasingly using speedboats to reach the Greek islands, as they are harder to detect compared to traditional rubber boats.

At the same time, across the European Union, illegal border crossings decreased by 39%, reaching 139,847 people in the first eight months of 2024. The largest decreases were recorded in the Western Balkans and the Central Mediterranean, where flows dropped by 77% and 64%, respectively.

In contrast, significant increases were observed at the eastern land borders of Europe and in Western Africa, with rates of +193% and +123%, respectively. The main nationalities of migrants are from Syria, Mali, and Afghanistan.

Despite the overall decrease, the Central Mediterranean route continues to record high crossing rates, albeit with a 64% reduction in the first eight months of 2024, totaling 41,250 people. This drop is attributed to deterrent measures taken by the authorities in mainly Tunisia and Libya as well as bilateral agreements between the European Union and countries of departure.

At the eastern land borders of Europe, crossings continue to rise at a rate of 193%, reaching 11,270 migrants this year.