The number of migrants arriving in Germany through the so-called Belarus route has been on the rise in 2024.
According to the Federal Police of Germany, a total of 2,215 illegal entries were registered at the borders with Poland and the Czech Republic from January to the end of May.
Rising Numbers
In January and February, only 26 and 25 people respectively were detected entering illegally. But the numbers surged to 412 in March, 861 in April, and 891 in May, according to preliminary data.
A breakdown by state reveals that since the beginning of the year, 1,021 individuals were caught in Brandenburg, 867 in Saxony, and 327 in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.
Despite the recent increase, the total number of illegal entries is lower than the previous year, as reported by Merkur. By the end of May 2023, over 6,000 illegal entries were recorded on the Belarus route.
External Factors
Poland and the European Union have accused Russia and Belarus of facilitating illegal migration by providing targeted visa and logistical support to individuals from crisis regions aiming to enter the EU.
This practice, which began in 2021, prompted Poland to construct a 5.5-meter-high fence on its external EU border.
Despite these measures, the Polish border guard reported 16,500 attempts to cross the border irregularly since the beginning of the year, compared to 11,200 attempts in the same period last year.
Efforts to secure borders and prevent irregular entries are ongoing, while the pressure on European migration and asylum systems continues to mount.
