Illegal migration to the EU: where and when most people cross the border

In 2019-2025, the scale of illegal border crossings in the European Union changed under the influence of global crises, political decisions and actions of neighboring countries. Find out more about the routes most often used by migrants, why 2022 and 2023 were record years, and how the situation is changing now

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Over the past six years, the situation with illegal border crossings in the European Union has undergone significant changes. This is evidenced by the slovoidilo infographic.

The largest spikes were recorded in 2022 and 2023, when about 330 thousand and 380 thousand cases were registered, respectively. The main routes remain the Mediterranean routes, which attract the largest number of migrants every year.

Dynamics of irregular migration

In 2019, the EU recorded almost 140 thousand cases of illegal border crossings. The most active destinations were the Eastern and Western Mediterranean.

In 2020, under the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of cases dropped to 120 thousand. At the same time, traffic through West Africa, the Central Mediterranean, and the Western Balkans increased.

2021 brought a new surge of almost 200 thousand cases. One of the factors was the situation on the Belarusian border, when Lukashenka's regime facilitated the movement of migrants from the Middle East to the western border of Belarus, which the EU saw as political pressure in response to sanctions.

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Peak in 2022-2023

In 2022, the number of illegal crossings reached 330,000, the highest figure since 2016. Almost half of the migrants crossed the border through the Western Balkans.

The main nationalities among the detainees were Syrians, Afghans, and Tunisians.

The year 2023 set a new record with about 380 thousand cases. The most popular routes were through the Central and Eastern Mediterranean and the Western Balkans.

More than 100,000 of the detainees were Syrians, and there were also numerous citizens of Guinea and Afghanistan.

Trends in 2024-2025

In 2024, the situation stabilized somewhat: 239 thousand illegal crossings were recorded, the lowest figure since 2021. According to Frontex, this was facilitated by the EU's increased cooperation with partner countries in the fight against illegal migration.

A significant decrease in traffic was recorded on routes through the Central Mediterranean (minus 59%) and the Western Balkans (minus 78%).

As of the first four months of 2025, about 47 thousand attempts at illegal crossing were recorded. Most often, citizens of Bangladesh, Afghanistan, and Mali were detained.

It is also worth noting that in 2023-2025, Ukrainians were among those detained on the eastern land route.

We remind you! The Czech government is considering the possibility of terminating temporary protection for Ukrainian refugees in the event of a long-term ceasefire in Ukraine. Interior Minister Vit Rakusan announced plans to tighten the asylum procedure and introduce new approaches to the reception of war veterans. Read how this may affect Ukrainians in the Czech Republic in our previous article.

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