The European Union “could see another record number of people seeking to reach its borders this year via irregular crossings, with more migrants driven by poverty and climate change rather than conflict,” the EU’s Frontex border agency said (Reuters, May 12, 2023).
Frontex reported approximately 330,000 unauthorized arrivals via all routes last year, “the highest since 2016, with the increased numbers provoking harsher anti-immigration rhetoric in EU states including Denmark, the Netherlands and Austria,” Reuters reported.