Frontex: 331,600 Irregular Border Crossings Recorded in First 10 Months of 2023 – Highest Since 2015

Summary

• EU's external borders recorded an 18 percent increase in irregular border crossings during the first ten months of 2023.
• The Western African route almost doubled the number of irregular crossings to over 27,700, the highest since 2009.
• October 2023 recorded the highest monthly arrivals at 13,000.

New figures provided by the EU Border and Guard Agency, Frontex, have revealed an 18 percent increase in irregular border crossing detections at the EU’s external borders during the first ten months of 2023, reaching nearly 331,600 total – the highest for this period since 2015.

The same authority also points out that the Western African route has experienced a substantial surge, with the number of irregular crossings almost doubling to over 27,700 this year, marking the highest total for this migratory route since Frontex began collecting data in 2009.

At the same time, October recorded the highest monthly arrivals, with a total of 13,000.

To address these challenges, 2,600 standing corps officers and Frontex staff actively engage in diverse operations, supporting member states and neighbouring countries in protecting the EU’s external borders and combating crime.

According to Frontex data, irregular border crossings at EU external borders reached almost 49,600 last month, marking an 18 per cent year-on-year increase. As a result, the Western African route recorded unprecedented numbers in October and the first ten months.

As the same shows, throughout the year, the top three nationalities on all routes were as follows:

• Syria
• Guinea
• Côte d’Ivoire

The Central Mediterranean remained the busiest migratory route into the EU in 2023, with more than 143 600 detections reported by national authorities in the first three quarters of 2023. This is the highest total on this route for this period since 2016.

The EU Border and Guard Agency, Frontex

On the other hand, there was a 50 percent month-on-month drop in the number of detections on this route, totalling nearly 9,600 by October.

Based on data from the International Organization for Migration (IOM), a total of 2,468 individuals have been reported missing in the Mediterranean this year, with the majority navigating the Central Mediterranean route.

In addition, over the January-October period, the Western Balkan route, the second most active with over 97,300 detections, experienced a 22 percent decline, primarily attributed to more stringent visa policies.

Despite challenging weather conditions increasing the risk of life-threatening incidents, October 2023 witnessed many irregular crossings in the Channel, exceeding 8,200. However, surveillance efforts, adverse weather, and various other factors have impacted crossing attempts. In this regard, two-thirds of these attempts resulted in detection and interception by French authorities or an attempted crossing led to a return to shore or a rescue at sea.

Previous Frontex figures also revealed that during the first nine months of this year, irregular border crossings at the EU’s external borders surged by 17 percent, reaching a total of 279,350.

It also highlights a 33 percent decline in crossings within this area in September 2023.