According to new data, the number of irregular border crossings was at a level last seen in 2016 in 2022, placing “unprecedented pressure” on Schengen and European Union countries’ external borders.
According to data released on Friday by Frontex, there were approximately 330,000 unauthorised border crossings last year, a 64% increase from the previous year.
Following a pandemic-induced low in 2020, the EU’s external border agency reported that this was the second year in a row with “a steep rise” in unauthorised entries.
The most popular route was through the Western Balkans, which saw a 136% increase year over year and accounted for 45% of all irregular entries into the bloc (145,600).
