According to the IOM, in the third quarter of 2024, 64,961 migrants and refugees embarked on perilous journeys to Europe via the Mediterranean routes and the West African Atlantic Route (WAAR). This highlights the urgent need for safe and legal migration pathways to prevent exploitation and reduce the risks migrants face. Establishing these pathways is essential to ensure migration is managed humanely and with dignity.
Recent Figures and Events
Migration and displacement continue to inflict immense human suffering, particularly along routes across Africa and toward the Mediterranean. Since 2020, more than 10,351 migrants have tragically perished or gone missing at sea, while 6,048 victims have been reported along land routes through the Sahara Desert to Libya and Algeria. These figures are likely underreported, underscoring the immense risks faced by those seeking safety and a better future.
Key drivers of migration include worsening security in the Sahel, ongoing conflict in Sudan, and climate shocks. The Sudanese conflict alone has displaced 825,000 refugees and 280,000 returnees, further intensifying mixed migration flows in the region. Political instability, including a series of coups in the Sahel, and deteriorating conditions in South Sudan, Eritrea, and Ethiopia have exacerbated these movements.
Throughout 2024, many migrants transited through Chad, Egypt, Niger, and Sudan to reach Libya, or travelled to Morocco and Tunisia by land, sea, or air. However, non-state armed groups, weak governance, and restricted access for international actors like UNHCR have hindered protection efforts. Challenges such as human trafficking, insufficient asylum systems, and forced returns remain urgent concerns.
Main Arrival Countries in Europe
The main first arrival countries in Europe during the third quarter (Q3) of 2024 were Italy, Greece, and Spain. Italy registered 23,676 migrants and refugees arriving by sea, while Greece recorded 20,267 arrivals, predominantly by sea from Türkiye. Spain saw 17,333 arrivals, with 73% of them reaching the Canary Islands, and the remaining migrants arriving in various locations across the Spanish mainland, such as Almería and Murcia.
Other notable first arrival countries included Bulgaria, where 3,195 migrants were apprehended, and Cyprus, which registered 455 first-time asylum applications. Malta recorded 35 sea arrivals in Q3 2024, adding to its total of 68 in the first half of the year.
The most common nationalities of migrants arriving in these countries were Syria, Egypt, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Tunisia, Mali, Algeria, Eritrea, Senegal, and Morocco, with Syrian nationals being the most frequently reported across Italy, Greece, and Bulgaria.
Key Migration Routes
- Western Mediterranean Route: In 2024, 17,026 migrants arrived via the Western Mediterranean route, connecting Algeria, Morocco, and Mali to mainland Spain, the Balearic Islands, Ceuta, and Melilla. Excluding arrivals to the Canary Islands, Spain recorded 17,127 arrivals through this route, reflecting a notable increase compared to 2023. However, the year was also marked by a tragic toll, with 10,457 lives lost attempting to reach Spanish shores.
- North-West Africa Maritime Route: In 2024, arrivals from Senegal, Mauritania, Morocco, and Western Sahara to the Canary Islands reached a record 46,843, marking a 17.4% increase compared to 39,910 in 2023. When combined with maritime arrivals to the rest of Spain, the total reached 63,970, a 12.5% rise from 56,852 in 2023. This reflects an average of nearly 30 daily arrivals and a 58% increase compared to the previous year.
- Central Mediterranean Route: This route, linking Algeria, Egypt, Libya, and Tunisia to Italy and Malta, saw a significant 59% decrease in crossings in 2024, totaling 67,000, due to reduced departures from Tunisia and Libya. Despite the decline, it remained the second most used route.
- Eastern Mediterranean Route: Crossings into Greece, Cyprus, and Bulgaria via Türkiye rose by 14% in 2024, totaling 69,400 detections. Migrants primarily originated from Syria, Afghanistan, and Egypt, with Palestinians seeing a notable increase. The current geopolitical circumstances have influenced this route, with 6,075 Palestinians crossing the border by December 2023, a number anticipated to increase significantly.
- Western Balkans Route: This route is a key pathway for migrants moving from their initial EU entry point to other member states, resulting in elevated detection rates and asylum applications. In 2024, crossings along this route saw a significant 78% decrease, attributed to intensified regional efforts and enhanced migration control measures.
- UK Channel: In 2024, 36,816 people were detected crossing the English Channel in small boats, a decrease from 46,000 in 2022. However, early 2024 saw a 16% rise in crossings compared to the same period in 2023, totalling 12,600. Nationals of Iran, Albania, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Syria made up two-thirds of the crossings since 2018. Tragically, 241 migrants have died or gone missing attempting the crossing since 2018. Around 93% of arrivals claimed asylum, with three-quarters of those receiving positive decisions. Detections of attempted crossings to the UK rose slightly, up 9% compared to 2023.
EU Migration Policy Framework and Perspective
The EU and its member states are stepping up efforts to establish a safe and effective migration policy in response to migration flows.
On May 14, 2024, the Council of the EU adopted the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum, reforming the legal framework for migration and asylum management. The Pact aims to manage arrivals in an orderly manner, establish uniform and efficient asylum procedures, and promote fair burden-sharing among member states. However, it has faced criticism from civil society organisations, which warns that it normalises immigration detention, including for children, increases racial profiling, facilitates pushbacks, and returns of individuals to third countries where they are at risk of violence and torture. According to PICUM, it also enables harmful surveillance technologies and intrusive data practices, posing risks of future abuses.
Looking ahead, the EU underscores the importance of uniform treatment for asylum seekers across Europe. The migration and asylum pact is designed to enhance the efficiency of the European asylum system while promoting solidarity among member states. By alleviating the burden on countries experiencing the highest migrant arrivals, the pact aims to establish a more balanced and cooperative framework for managing migration in the future.
The Far Right’s Influence on Migration Policies
The perception of migration varies significantly among EU member states. Some countries welcome migrants, while others, influenced by populism and far-right ideologies, oppose their arrival. Migration is a central issue in public discourse, particularly for conservative parties during election campaigns, often framed as a “threat” to national identity, security, and resources.
This rhetoric frequently:
- Portrays migration as a “crisis” rather than a manageable phenomenon.
- Dehumanizes migrants, especially those of non-white backgrounds.
- Overlooks the hardships faced by people fleeing danger and the systemic failures leading to preventable deaths.
- Ignores Europe’s demographic challenges, such as an aging population, shrinking workforce, and skill shortages in critical industries.
This disparity reveals a double standard: wealthier, white migrants are often welcomed, while others face resistance rooted in racism and xenophobia. The narrative of a migration “crisis” also obscures global realities—most migration occurs within Africa itself, with regions like Sub-Saharan Africa and the Sahel hosting the largest number of displaced persons.
Migration Trends and Myths
Despite claims of surging migration, the global percentage of migrants has remained relatively stable. In 2020, migrants comprised just 3.6% of the global population, up marginally from 2.9% in 1990. In Africa, only 3% of the population lives outside their home country, compared to 8.5% in Europe. While migrations from Africa to Europe have increased, the majority of African migrants remain within the continent.
In 2020, only 14.5% of the global migrant population originated from Africa, with less than one-third residing in Europe. African migrants represent a small fraction of Europe’s total population and an even smaller share of migrants globally, contradicting the notion that they are “overwhelming” Europe. In fact, 51.6% of African migrants live within Africa, highlighting the continent’s significant intra-regional migration flows.
Conclusion
As we’ve seen, far-right rhetoric distorts migration realities, falsely portraying it as a crisis rooted in xenophobic biases, perpetuating stereotypes, and ignoring migration’s historic role in shaping societies. Nevertheless, Europe must implement legislation that supports migrants and asylum seekers, ensuring their rights are addressed with dignity and respect.
Effective migration policies should be humane and data-driven. European institutions and member states must prioritize recognizing migrants’ contributions to economic growth and innovation while ensuring policies reflect Europe’s values of equality, respect, and solidarity to foster integration and mutual benefit.