Illegal crossings at Europe’s borders have dropped by more than 30 percent, a difference of nearly 34,000 people, in the first quarter of this year compared to the same period in 2024, the EU’s border agency Frontex revealed to POLITICO.
This comes as migration remains at the forefront of the bloc’s politics as internal Schengen borders close and a new coalition government in Germany agrees on a tougher migration stance.
While Frontex spokesperson Chris Borowski said the organization could not draw a definitive conclusion as to why such a massive decrease occurred in the first three months of the year, “It is clear that the downward trend from last year continues.”
In recent months, the European Union has threatened harsher migration regulations: a plan to streamline deportations, tougher penalties for rejected migrants who do not leave the bloc and the creation of so-called return hubs in countries outside the EU to house people awaiting deportation.
Frontex observed the decline across all major migratory routes into the EU. The most significant decrease, by 64 percent, was through Albania, Serbia, Montenegro and North Macedonia.
“In many places we see the results of more active steps to take on organized criminal smuggling networks and cooperation with Frontex, especially in the Balkans,” said Borowski.
Due to recent changes to agreements with various third countries, Frontex is now operating on borders between third countries, which was an expansion from only borders of countries with the EU, he explained.
The busiest route was through Greece, Cyprus and Bulgaria, even with a 29 percent drop since the start of the year.
Thousands of people continue to make the perilous crossings by land and sea. The International Organization for Migration estimates that 385 people lost their lives at sea in the first quarter of 2025, while some 2,300 people lost their lives in 2024.
Via Politico