The number of people arriving illegally in Europe has fallen in 2025, but experts warn that irregular migration will persist as conflict and economic hardship intensify and migrants forge new pathways to avoid tougher security measures.
Arrivals fell by 20% in the first six months of the year, continuing 2024's downward trend, according to the European Union's border agency Frontex, which credited the drop to increased cooperation with transit countries.
Since 1 million people entered Europe irregularly during the so-called migrant crisis in 2015, the EU has taken an increasingly tough stance on illicit arrivals.
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