According to the European border protection agency Frontex, the number of irregular border crossings at the EU's external borders has decreased significantly in 2019. By the end of the year, around 120,000 illegal entries into the European Union are expected, Frontex director Fabrice Leggeri told the newspaper "Welt".
Accordingly, the numbers have decreased by around ten percent compared to the previous year and are significantly lower than in 2015, when Frontex registered 1.2 million unauthorized border crossings.
"The numbers are currently lower, but the migration pressure to Europe remains enormous," said Leggeri. According to Leggeri, a relatively large number of people continue to travel within the Schengen area, which is actually free of border controls. "You are applying for asylum in several member states - this is against EU rules." Frontex also wants to support repatriations in the future. There are still problems here.
In addition, not all asylum seekers would still be registered upon entry. "Many then take the opportunity and move on to their desired country," said Leggeri. Under the Dublin Agreement, the country is usually responsible for an asylum seeker in which the first person entered the EU.
In the video: Mediterranean Sea again the most dangerous refugee route in 2019
Doctors Without Borders
However, compared to the previous year, Frontex noted increasing numbers to Greece and the Canary Islands. "We recently noticed an increase here," said Leggeri. "This year it is 50 percent more than in 2018." According to the UN refugee agency UNHCR, around 2,200 people came illegally from Africa to the Canaries this year.
Leggeri sees several reasons for the increasing number of people seeking protection who come to the EU from Turkey. "Turkey is now consistently enforcing its place of residence - but many migrants do not want to have it prescribed and are now heading west," he said.
According to Leggeri, Frontex is increasingly observing border crossings by Afghans. "It is not just people who flee their homes. We also notice many who have worked in Iran, have now lost their jobs in the economic crisis and now want to go to Europe via Turkey," said the Frontex director ,
According to the UNHCR, there are currently around one million registered Afghan refugees in Iran. An additional two million Afghans are estimated to be in the country.
The EU border control agency Frontex is expected to get more staff in the coming years. A reserve of 10,000 emergency personnel is currently planned to be built by 2027.