Highest number since 2016 – Illegal entries: Frontex reports a new record

“Due to the high number of arrivals, there may be delays in the reports and the final figures may be higher,” Frontex representatives noted. In October alone, 47 percent more illegal entries were registered in the EU Member States than in the same month last year.

The most active route to the EU remains the Western Balkans (128,438 border crossings in the first ten months). In second place is the Central Mediterranean route, which recorded an increase especially between January and October (79,140 border crossings through October). This is according to preliminary estimates from the European border and coast guard agency Frontex.

Another debate on asylum policy
In Austria, the FPÖ will present several motions on asylum policy to the National Council this week. For example, asylum seekers and persons entitled to asylum should not receive minimum security, but only benefits in kind. Other applications demand that Austria no longer accepts applications and that only immigrants can obtain Austrian citizenship. FPÖ leader Herbert Kickl, however, pointed out that no majority could be expected.

SPÖ federal director Christian Deutsch said in a broadcast on Monday that asylum policy needs, among other things, processing centers at the EU’s external borders and faster procedures. “Less human rights are certainly not part of it,” he said. According to NEOS boss Beate Meinl-Reisinger, European solutions are needed. Illegal routes should be closed and legal escape routes opened. The “blenders” of recent years should now see that the supposedly closed migration routes are currently “open”.