rene manenti - sihma seminar 2 - 30 july 2014

Detections of illegal border-crossing

along the EU’s external borders

2012

72 437

2013

107 365

2009: 104 599

2010: 104 060

2011: 141 051Arab spring

2013 was also characterized

by three phenomena:

1) A large increase in illegal

border-crossings by Syrians, subsequently applying for

asylum

(Eastern Mediterranean route and Central Mediterranean)

2013 was also characterized

by three phenomena:

2) A steady flow of migrants departing

from North Africa (Libya and Egypt) putting their life at risk to cross the

Mediterranean Sea

2013 was also characterized

by three phenomena:

3) A sharp increase in detections

reported by Hungary at its land

border with Serbia (mostly in January-June)

52% of

total

detections

in 2013

(55 400)

Afghans

Eritreans

Syrians

25 500 (1/4 of tot.)

their detections

at the EU border

tripled between

2012 and 2013

Central Mediterranean route

40 304 (38%) detections of illegal

border-crossings in 2013mostly from Lybia and Egypt

Eastern Mediterranean route

24 800 detections of illegal

border-crossings in 2013

lowest level reported

since 2009

Western Balkan route

about 6 391 in 2012 – 19 951 in 2013 Hungarian-Serbian land border

Eastern Mediterranean route

2011

57 025

2012

37 214

2013

24 799

Eastern Mediterranean route

2011

57 025

2012

37 214

2013

24 799

- strengthening of border surveillance on

the Greek side, including the completion of

a fence along the 12-kilometre land

connection with Turkey

Eastern Mediterranean route

2011

57 025

2012

37 214

2013

24 799

- deployment of additional staff to patrol

the area of the River Evros marking the

land border between Turkey and Greece

Eastern Mediterranean route

2011

57 025

2012

37 214

2013

24 799

- Greece took a series of measures inland

(i.e. changes in the asylum policy and

return measures)

Western Mediterranean/African route

7 100 detections of illegal

border-crossings in 2013more effective prevention of

departures at sea by the

Moroccan authorities and

enhanced prevention

measures in the

Mediterranean Sea

Detections of illegal

border-crossing in 2013

with percentage change

on 2012 by route and

top nationality detected

Central

Mediterranean

route

In 2008, nearly 40 000 migrants were detected, mostly

near Lampedusa and Malta. Most migrants were

nationals from Tunisia, Nigeria, Somalia and Eritrea.

This traffic stopped almost completely however

in 2009 after the Italian government signed a

bilateral agreement with Libya

Central

Mediterranean

route

Civil unrest erupting in Tunisia and Libya in 2011 saw a

massive spike in the number of migrants along this route

(over 64 000 arrivals for the whole year). Sub Saharan

Africans arrived on Lampedusa and to a smaller

degree on Sicily and Malta. Many were forcibly

expelled by the Gaddafi regime. Most

of these migrants applied

for asylum in Italy.

Central Mediterranean route

With the collapse of the Gaddafi regime in

August of 2011 the migratory pressure had

dropped almost entirely, and detections in

2012 remained very low.

2012

Central Mediterranean route

Second striking peak in the arrivals of migrants

departing from Libya. The dramatic conditions of

the overcrowded boats used by the migrants were

particularly visible in October 2013 when 366

migrants lost their lives near Lampedusa when their

boat suddenly capsized.

Top three nationalities using this route: Syrians,

Eritreans and Somali nationals arriving to Italy

and Malta from Libya.

2012 2013

Illegal border crossings on the Central Mediterranean

route (including Apulia and Calabria) in numbers

2013 345 000 detections of illegal stay

in the EU:

generally stable trend

2012

353 991 asylum

applications

Syrians most common nationality,

nearly double the already very

high number of 2012

2013

Recommendations:

•Steer away from excessively militarised

and security-centered approaches

•Highlight the importance of good

governance, and of good migration

governance more specifically

Recommendations:

•Recognize the importance and challenges

that South-South and intra-African migration

represent for countries in the southern

Mediterranean, rather than focusing solely

on the (much smaller) flows towards the EU

Recommendations:

•Encourage further research on the

migration-development nexus and explore the

positive impact of human mobility on

socioeconomic development

•Encourage EU Member States to facilitate and

speed up their procedures to grant asylum and

EU protected status, whilst better differentiating

between refugees and irregular migrants