BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Illegal migration to European Union countries fell significantly overall in the first eight months of this year, despite rising political rhetoric and violence against migrants and electoral gains for far-right parties that advocate anti-immigration policies.
But there has been a surge in migrant arrivals to the Canary Islands, a Spanish archipelago off the African coast that is increasingly being used as another stepping stone to mainland Europe.
Illegal immigrants were the norm European Parliament Elections It influenced the recent state elections held in East Germany in June. The far-right party won For the first time since World War II, the German government announced this week that it would expand border controls around its territory in response to recent extremist attacks.
What do the numbers show?
Despite the fierce debate, the latest provisional data compiled by the UN’s International Organization for Migration shows that illegal crossings at the EU’s southern border, where the largest number of illegal migrants originate, fell by 35% between January and August.
According to the United Nations, nearly 115,000 migrants have entered the EU without authorization via the Mediterranean or Atlantic Ocean so far this year – less than 0.03% of the EU’s population – compared with 176,252 in the same period last year. By contrast, more than one million people entered the EU in 2015, most of them fleeing the Syrian conflict.
Data published by the EU border and coast guard agency Frontex shows a similar trend: illegal crossings on the region’s southern border fell 39 percent overall this year compared to last.
“The emergencies have not been quantified this year, nor last year,” Flavio Di Giacomo, a spokesman for IOM’s Mediterranean office, told The Associated Press.
Camille Le Coze, deputy director of the non-profit European Migration Policy Institute, said illegal immigration “has received too much attention compared to the scope of the problem and other issues that Europe needs to address, such as climate change”.
The most popular route for migrants is from North Africa across the dangerous central Mediterranean to Italy, but the number of migrants landing in Italy this year is around 64% lower than the same period in 2023, according to figures from IOM and Frontex.
Experts say it EU-backed crackdown in Tunisia and LibyaMany immigrants are forced to make sacrifices, Systematically rounded Abandoned in the desert.
However, it remains to be seen how long this downward trend will continue. Smugglers are always adaptable and find new routes to circumvent border controls. In the second most used route, the Eastern Mediterranean, smuggling networks are now They are using speedboats in an increasingly aggressive manner. Targeting islands far from Türkiye’s coast to circumvent regulations Central Aegean SeaAccording to Greek authorities.
The number of migrants arriving in Greece by sea and land rose 57% in the first eight months of this year, according to UN data.
The Atlantic’s surprising surge
Meanwhile, illegal migration on the third-busiest route, from West Africa across the Atlantic to the Canary Islands, has more than doubled: As of August 31, more than 25,500 migrants from Mali, Senegal and other West African countries had arrived in the islands, according to the United Nations.
Countless migrants have gone missing along this route, where rough winds and strong Atlantic currents are counterproductive. Migrant boats carrying only the bodies of citizens of Mali, Mauritania and Senegal have been found adrift in the Caribbean and off the coast of Brazil this year. Exact figures are hard to verify, but Spanish migrant rights group Walking Borders puts the number of dead or missing at more than 4,000.
The trend has Spanish authorities on heightened alert ahead of autumn, when Atlantic conditions are most favorable for sailing. Rescue agencies say the danger of the route seems to do little to deter would-be migrants, whose numbers are swelling, including from Syria and Pakistan.
“There are situations that need to be addressed, such as the situation in the Canary Islands,” Le Coz acknowledged.
Humanitarian Crisis
Adult migrants who reach the Canaries typically continue on to mainland Spain or further north in European countries, where they promise work and safety. But that’s not the case for thousands of unaccompanied minors. By Spanish law, these young migrants must be placed in the care of local authorities, leading to overcrowding in shelters and a political crisis. Earlier this year, the island’s leaders tried unsuccessfully to get the rest of Spain to share the responsibility.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez recently Traveled to three West African countries In an attempt to curb migration, Spain signed an agreement with Senegalese President Bachir Diomae Faye to promote temporary work opportunities for Senegalese nationals in Spain and vocational training in Senegal, and also agreed to strengthen cooperation with the police.
There is no magic solution
Despite current anti-immigrant sentiment, Europe’s ageing population, falling birth rates and labour shortages mean a growing need for immigrant workers to preserve pensions and spur economic growth.
And as long as migrants do not have access to opportunities in their home countries, the exodus will likely continue.Add to this the growing instability and conflict in parts of Africa, the Middle East and Asia, forcing millions to flee.
“There is no magic deterrent,” Le Coz said, “and in the end, migrants bear the cost of this: they risk their lives, spend years working in Europe with uncertain legal status, and are exposed to all kinds of exploitation.”
Longer-term solutions to address irregular immigration, such as temporary work programs for migrants, are being implemented but are still insufficient.
“This is a step in the right direction, but a much larger effort is needed and we need greater involvement from the private sector,” Le Coze added.
___
Read the AP report here https://apnews.com/hub/migration
