Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1420685
14 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 20 OCTOBER 2021 NEWS A total of 23,630 people have attempted to enter European countries through unlawful ways during September, marking a 40 per cent increase compared to 2020 figures and a 17 per cent increase compared to Septem- ber 2019 figures, the European Union Border and Coast Guard Agency (FRONTEX) has re- vealed. According to FRONTEX, the most notable increase was de- tected on the Central Medi- terranean and Western Balkan routes. In addition, a total of 133,900 people attempted to cross EU's external borders during the first nine months of this year, based on the agency's preliminary cal- culations, marking a 47 per cent increase compared to 2019 fig- ures, before the spread of the Coronavirus, when the num- ber of illegal border crossings reached 91,000. According to the report pub- lished by the same agency for a period from January until Sep- tember this year, the number of illegal border crossings reg- istered at EU's Eastern borders reached nearly 6,200. A total of 4,170 people at- tempted to cross the border between Lithuania and Belarus. However, the figures marked a decrease after reaching 2,900 monthly arrivals in July. In ad- dition, authorities in Lithuania registered 20 irregular arrivals during September. Citizens from Iraq, Afghani- stan and Syria were detected the most in September on this bor- der crossing point. At the same time, Poland registered a total of 1,380 illegal border crossings at the common border with Be- larus for a period from January until September this year. Iraqi, Afghans and Russian citizens were detected the most in this route. In September, au- thorities in Poland recorded a number of 28 people attempting to cross European countries bor- ders illegally. As for the Western Balkan route, there were detected about 40,200 people who attempted to reach European countries through this route in the first three quarters of this year, or 117 per cent more compared to the same period last year. In Sep- tember, there were 10,400 illegal border crossings or a 112 per cent increase compared to last year's same period. According to the FRONTEX report, citizens of Syria, Afghan- istan and Morocco attempted the most to reach European countries through this route. Nearly 47,620 unlawful border crossings were recorded on the Central Mediterranean route during the first nine months of this year, marking an 87 per cent increase compared to the same period of last year. "In September, there were 5670 illegal border crossings, 33 per cent more than in the same month last year. Most migrants came from Tunisia, Bangladesh and Egypt," the statement pub- lished by FRONTEX reads. The statement published by FRONTEX shows that from January until September, a total of 14,100 people attempted to cross the Western Mediterrane- an route in order to reach Euro- pean countries, which is a 22 per cent increase compared to last year's figures. As for September, the number of detections increased to 3,487 or about a 20 per cent increase compared to September 2020. Most of the detections on this route were citizens from Algeria, Morocco and sub-Saharan Afri- ca. "The Eastern Mediterranean was the only route into the EU that saw a drop in detections of illegal border crossings. There were 13 190 detections between January and September, down 17 per cent compared to the same period of last year," the statement reads. Last month, 1,590 people sought to reach European coun- tries through the Eastern Medi- terranean route, or 18 per cent more compared to last year's figures. FRONTEX figures show that a total of 11,700 people tried to reach European countries through the Western African route in the first nine months of this year, or a 93 per cent in- crease compared to the figures from the same period, one year ago. "In September, there were 2,353 detections, roughly in line with the same period of 2020," the statement published by the agency reads. Citizens from Sub-Saharan countries were detected the most in the Western African route. Over 23,000 people attempted to enter European countries illegally in September