Europe has witnessed a sharp 30% decline in irregular migrant entries during the first quarter of 2025, according to Frontex, the European Border and Coast Guard Agency. Compared to the same period in 2024, nearly 33,600 fewer illegal crossings were recorded across EU borders.

Significant Drop Along Balkan Routes

The largest drop in migrant flows was seen in the Western Balkan region—including Albania, Serbia, Montenegro, and North Macedonia—where numbers fell by 64%. This dramatic decrease is attributed to reinforced border controls and stricter migration policies by both the EU and partner countries.

NGOs Raise Human Rights Concerns

While the EU touts these figures as a success in curbing illegal immigration, human rights organizations argue that these policies are pushing vulnerable migrants into dangerous routes. Groups like Human Rights Watch and ECCHR claim that migrants in Libya and Tunisia—countries the EU cooperates with to prevent migration—face detention, violence, and exploitation.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported that at least 555 migrants died on Mediterranean and Atlantic routes in the first three months of 2025, underscoring the deadly consequences of limited legal pathways. UNICEF also highlighted that over 3,500 children have died or gone missing on the central Mediterranean route over the past decade.

Call for Safe and Legal Migration Pathways

NGOs are urging the European Union to reconsider its approach and prioritize the creation of safe, legal migration channels. They warn that relying on external countries to manage migration, without enforcing human rights standards, only escalates risks and exploitation.