Record number of people crossing the Central Mediterranean to the EU

News - Posted date: 05:37, June 17, 2023

On June 16, Frontex - the European Union's (EU) border and coast guard agency - said that in the first five months of the year, the number of migrants crossing borders to Europe more than doubled compared to the same period last year.

Tàu chở người di cư trên vùng biển ngoài khơi Hy Lạp, ngày 14/6/2023. Ảnh: AFP/TTXVN

Migrant boat in waters off Greece, June 14, 2023

According to Frontex, during the period, more than 50,300 migrants crossed the Central Mediterranean route into the EU - the highest number since 2017. The agency said the Eastern Mediterranean remains the main migration route into the EU, accounting for nearly 50% of illegal entry into the region since the beginning of the year.

Meanwhile, the total number of migrants trying to enter EU countries via these routes was 102,000, up 12% compared to a year ago.

According to Frontex, except for the Central Mediterranean route, other migration routes into the EU such as the Western Balkans, the Western Mediterranean and West Africa all recorded a decrease in the number of migrants compared to the same period last year, with 25%, 6% and 47% respectively. The decrease was mainly due to prolonged bad weather, which was not favorable for sea crossings.

According to VNA