The number of irregular entries into the European Union increased in 2022 by 64% compared to the previous year.
It has thus reached the highest level since 2016, the European border surveillance agency, Frontex, announced on Friday.
According to the agency, 330,000 irregular entries were recorded in 2022, 45% of them on the Western Balkan route.
The number of affected Syrian nationals nearly doubled to 94,000.
"This is the second consecutive year with a sharp increase in the number of irregular entries," Frontex said in a statement, adding that Syrians, Afghans and Tunisians together accounted for 47% of irregular entries in 2022. the Western Balkan route, 145,600 crossings were recorded, an increase of 136% compared to the previous year.
The Central Mediterranean route, the second busiest, saw the number of crossings exceed 100,000, an increase of more than 50%.
Around 10% of irregular entries were made by women and around 9% by minors.
