(ANSA) - ROME, DEC 13 - EU border agency Frontex on Friday said preliminary data on the first 11 months of 2024 showed that irregular border crossings into the European Union dropped by 40% to 220,700.
    The significant decrease was mainly driven by sharp declines reported on the Western Balkan (-80%) and the Central Mediterranean migratory routes (-60%).
    On the contrary, the eastern land border registered the most significant increase of 200%.
    The Western African route, moreover, has already surpassed the total number of irregular arrivals in all of last year, putting the total for 2024 at the highest level since Frontex began to collect data in 2009, the agency noted. (ANSA).