(Deutsche Welle) European border agency Frontex recorded a sharp increase in migrants hoping to enter the EU last month, German media reported Sunday.
The spike comes after coronavirus lockdowns and widespread border closures cut the number of potential asylum-seekers able to reach Europe. As a result, traffic along the continent’s main migration routes reached record lows in April.
In May, there were almost 4,300 illegal border crossings, newspapers from the Funke Media Group reported, citing figures from Frontex. That’s almost three times as many compared to the previous month.
The EU’s asylum agency has previously warned that the pandemic could ultimately trigger more arrivals in the future — particularly if it leads to food shortages and more turmoil in the Middle East and North Africa.
