Illegal migration to Europe soared in 2023, Germany was top destination: Report

Illegal migration to Europe increased significantly in 2023, while Germany remained the top destination, the Federal Criminal Police Office said on Wednesday.

According to the latest official figures, illegal border crossings across the EU's external borders increased from 326,300 to 380,200, marking the highest figure since 2016.

In Germany, the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) registered 266,224 cases of illegal entry and residence in 2023, representing more than 33% increase from the previous year. Many of the irregular migrants were asylum seekers from Syria and Afghanistan.

In many cases, these illegal entries into Germany were facilitated by human trafficking, according to the BKA's report. Of those smuggled into Germany, nearly 42% came from Poland, 29% from Austria, and 22% from the Czech Republic. Most of them traveled on foot (37%), in small vans (26), or cars (24%).

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz's left-liberal coalition government has been under pressure from opposition parties to address irregular migration, as local authorities are complaining that they are facing a crisis in providing accommodation and social support to newly arrived migrants.

The far-right AfD party, which runs on an anti-immigration platform, has seen its popularity grow ahead of crucial regional elections next month in Germany's three eastern states. According to the latest polls, the AfD is on track to come in first place in Thuringia and Brandenburg, while pollsters are predicting a tight race with Christian Democrats in the neighboring state of Saxony.