BRUSSELS - The level of arrivals of irregular immigrants to the European Union has dropped to its lowest level since 2013, the bloc’s border security agency Frontex said. There were sustained numbers of people trying to enter the European Union through Greece, Bulgaria and Cyprus, where border crossings were 46% higher than in 2018. Germany, Italy, France and Belgium topped the EU countries availing themselves of Frontex’s returns operations, with the main countries taking back their nationals being Albania, Tunisia and Georgia. Leggeri stressed that Frontex would need sufficient funding from the European Union’s 2021-27 budget, which is the subject of heated negotiations between members states. Some EU countries are balking at how much they would have to pay to cover the $93 billion shortfall over the next seven years to be caused by Britain’s exit from the European Union.

Source: The North Africa Journal January 18, 2020 20:15 UTC