Following the brief lull in illegal migration into Europe that was seen in March and April as a result of the Wuhan coronavirus pandemic, the number of migrants illegally entering Europe has risen dramatically once again.
In the month of May, authorities recorded some 4,300 illegal border crossings on Europe’s main migration routes, nearly three times as many as were recorded in the previous month, reports the Funke Media group, citing the Frontex – the EU border protection agency.
According to the report, the Eastern Mediterranean migration route from Turkey to Greece was the most active in May, with Frontex recording 1,250 illegal border crossings – eight times as many that were seen in April. The majority of migrants traveling along this route are said to have originated from Afghanistan.
Migration along the Central Mediterranean migration route – the route which runs from Libya and Tunisia to Italy and Malta – also saw a considerable uptick in May, with more than 1,000 illegal crossings record, a 40 percent increase compared to April. Most migrants traveling along this route came from Bangladesh, Sudan, and the Ivory Coast.
The report also noted a large increase in migration along the Western Mediterranean route – from Morocco to Spain – with more than 650 illegal crossing recorded, nearly four times as many crossing that were recorded in April. Most migrants being smuggled along this route were Algerians nationals.
Lastly, Frontex recorded over 900 illegal border crossing along the Western Balkans route in the month of May, ten times more than were recorded in the previous month.
From January to May, Frontex recorded 31,600 illegal border crossings, six percent less than were recorded during the same period last year.
In May, Voice of Europe reported that Europol, the European Union’s policing agency, warned in its annual report that the smuggling of migrants, which has slowed considerably during the Chinese coronavirus pandemic, may increase with the lifting of lockdown measures and the opening of borders across Europe.
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