The European Commissioner for Home Affairs, Ylva Johansson, reported, on Thursday 19 October in Luxembourg, on the progress made in implementing the agreement sealed with Tunisia on migration, and informed the interior ministers meeting in Luxembourg on the same day.
“I was able to tell them that we have seen very good cooperation over the last month”, with a drop of around 80% in departures to Italy, she explained at the final press conference.
“We also saw that the (Tunisian) authorities intercepted more than 600 irregular departures” and arrested a large number of smugglers.
In addition, the Commissioner reported progress in the number of voluntary returns of migrants from Tunisia to their country of origin. “Of course, we need to continue the work, but progress has been made”.
According to Frontex figures published on 13 October, the number of migrants arriving in Italy via the central Mediterranean slowed in September.
The number of detections of irregular crossings of the EU’s external borders rose by 17% in the first nine months of 2023 to 279,350, the highest total for this period since 2016, according to preliminary calculations.
The Central Mediterranean has accounted for one detection in two at the EU’s external borders since the start of the year. Nevertheless, the number of crossings in the region fell by a third compared to the previous month, according to Frontex, and the Western Balkans regained its position as the busiest migratory route in September. (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)