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Significance
The Central Mediterranean route, used by half of all irregular migrants to the EU in 2016, now accounts for only 9% of irregular travel to the EU. Meanwhile, the pace of arrivals via the Eastern Mediterranean (overland and by sea) surged in mid-2019, making Greece the first point of EU entry, with 59% of arrivals.
Impacts
The EU is in early-stage efforts to end detention centres in Libya because of the backlash over human-rights abuses.
More arrivals at Malta and Cyprus are indicative of the adaptability of people smugglers.
The EU will struggle to address deep divides among member states about reform of the asylum system.
Keywords:
EU,
ME/NAF,
Greece,
Italy,
Spain,
Morocco,
Niger,
Libya,
Turkey,
EU/NORTH AFRICA,
social,
immigration,
human rights,
policy,
international relations,
politics,
foreign policy,
crime,
refugees
© Oxford Analytica 2020. All rights reserved. This content contains general information about geopolitical, macroeconomic and social developments or (where stated) other matters. It does not contain advice or recommendations that may be relied on. Where links to external websites are provided, this does not indicate that Oxford Analytica or Emerald agree with, endorse or have checked for accuracy the contents of said sites.
2020
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