site.btaEU Reports 55% Drop in Illegal Border Crossings Over Past Two Years

The European Commission (EC) reported on Thursday that over the past two years the number of illegal crossings of the EU’s external borders has fallen by 55%, while along the Western Balkan migration route the decrease has reached 90% over three years.

EU Commissioner for Home Affairs Magnus Brunner said at a press conference in Brussels that the expected progress in 2026 is on the return of migrants without the right to stay. He noted that since the introduction of the new European Entry/Exit System, which provides fully automated processing of travellers, authorities have recorded 20 million registrations of third-country nationals and 15,000 refusals of entry to the EU in recent months.

According to Brunner, the EU will increasingly rely on diplomatic tools to ensure returns and to limit the number of newly arriving third-country nationals seeking international protection. He added that protection could also be provided in locations closer to the cultural background of asylum applicants.

EC Vice-President Henna Virkkunen said options are being examined to allow greater flexibility regarding drivers in international transport who are not EU citizens. Responding to a question related to protests by drivers from several Balkan countries, she noted that the EC is aware of their concerns.

Virkkunen added that the EU needs millions of foreign workers to support several sectors facing labour shortages, including healthcare. According to her, the high-tech sector alone requires “hundreds of thousands” of specialists, particularly in view of growing needs related to cybersecurity.