WARSAW, Poland — In a recent announcement, Frontex, the European Union’s border control agency, reported a notable decline in irregular border crossings into the EU in 2024. The agency credited this reduction primarily to enhanced collaboration aimed at combatting smuggling operations.

According to initial data shared by the Warsaw-based agency, there has been a 38% reduction in irregular border crossings into the 27-member bloc compared to previous years. It is important to note that these figures represent the number of detections of people unlawfully crossing the EU’s external borders rather than the total number of individuals attempting to enter, since the same person may cross multiple times at different locations as pointed out by Frontex.

The agency recorded just over 239,000 instances of irregular border crossings, marking the lowest tally since 2021, a year that also experienced limited migration due to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite this overall decline, Frontex noted that challenges remain, particularly concerning perilous maritime attempts to reach Europe that have resulted in considerable loss of life, as well as the adaptive strategies employed by smuggling networks.

While illegal crossings have seen a drop, there is a prevailing sentiment throughout Europe that unregulated immigration remains a significant concern. This immigration issue has been a prominent topic in European political discussions since 2015, when over a million individuals, many fleeing conflict in Syria, entered the continent. This wave of migration has empowered far-right political factions that vehemently oppose the acceptance of large groups of refugees and migrants, especially in countries such as Austria and Germany.

The decrease in overall crossings was largely attributed to a staggering 59% decline in arrivals via the