Guarding the Gates of Europe
Guarding the Gates of Europe
Since 2013, the EU and the member states have been experiencing a constant flow of irregular migrants from both the Eastern and the Southern flanks of the continent. Irregular mass migration means a huge burden for European welfare states and the integration process of the newly arrived persons evokes numerous challenges. According to the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex), the number of irregular border crossings at the external borders of the European Union increased by 18% to almost 331,600 in the first ten months of 2023, the highest level since 2015 and even higher than the annual total for 2022 (330,000 irregular border crossings). This definitively confutes the view that the migration crisis is "behind us".