(MENAFN- Kuwait News Agency (KUNA)) BRUSSELS, Sept 18 (KUNA) -- The total number of of illegal border crossings detected on the four main migratory routes in the European Union (EU) in the first eight months of 2017 fell by two-thirds, as compared to 142,700 in the same period last year, said the EU Monday.
In August, there were approximately 12,200 detections of illegal border crossings, while the number of migrants arriving in Italy dropped by almost two-thirds from the previous month, according to a press release by Frontex, the EU's border agency.
Also in August, the number of migrants arriving in Italy through the Central Mediterranean route decreased by 60% as compared to the previous month, to stand at 4,500 people, the lowest monthly total since January, it noted.
In the first eight months of the year, the number of migrants crossing into Spain totaled out to be 13,600, nearly three times the figure from the same period of 2016, with the most migrants coming from Morocco, Ivory Coast and Gambia.
Meanwhile, around 21,100 migrants reached Greece in the same period. about a tenth of the figure in 2016, as Syrians, Iraqis and Afghans accounted for the majority of detections on the Eastern Mediterranean route in 2017.
In August, the Western Balkans route saw minimal illegal border-crossings,as fewer migrants have been leaving Turkey through its land borders towards the Western Balkans, it said. (end) nk.nam
MENAFN1809201700710000ID1095874081
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.