In the first three months of 2023 the
number of irregular crossings of the Central Mediterranean rose
by 305% to nearly 27,651 compared to the same period in 2022, EU
border agency Frontex said on Wednesday.
In March alone, the number of migrants and refugees making the
crossing increased nine-fold over last year to around 13,000.
Overall, Frontex detected 54,000 irregular crossings at the EU's
borders in the first quarter of 2023, 26% more than in the same
period last year.
The Western Balkans remained the second most active migratory
route after the Central Mediterranean with 14,858 detections
between January and March.
However, this figure represented a 22% drop over the same period
in 2022 due to visa-policy alignments in the region with the EU
and the reinforcement of border control capacities by Hungary,
Frontex said.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © Copyright ANSA
