(MENAFN- Kuwait News Agency (KUNA)) BRUSSELS, June 18 (KUNA) -- In the first five months of 2018, the total number of irregular border crossings to Europe stood at about 43,200, down 46 percent compared to a year ago, mainly because of lower migratory pressure on the Central Mediterranean route.
According to figures released Monday by the EU border agency, FRONTEX, the total number of migrants detected in the Central Mediterranean route in the first five months of 2018 fell to roughly 13, 450, down 77 percent from a year ago.
The total number of illegal migrants detected on the Eastern Mediterranean route until the end of May this year rose by 90 percent to more than 19, 800.
The largest number of migrants on this route in the first five months of the year were nationals of Syria and Iraq. In the first five months of 2018, there were some 8,200 illegal border crossings on the Western Mediterranean route, 59 percent more than a year ago.
Despite the low number of detections at the Western Balkans route, Frontex said that it has observed an emergence of new sub-routes via Albania, Montenegro and Bosnia Herzegovina, as well as from Serbia to Bosnia Herzegovina.
This has been linked with increased migratory pressure in these countries in recent months and at the border between Bosnia Herzegovina and Croatia it added. (end) nk.ibi
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