What are the key policies and events that shaped migration towards and within Europe in 2024? Here's a look at some of the most important moments and developments of 2024.
Canary Islands: Record number of migrants arrived from West Africa
Well over 43,000 people landed on the Spanish island group after setting off from West Africa in small boats in 2024 – that’s more than any previous year. The top countries of origin were Mali, Senegal and Morocco, according to Frontex data for the first 11 months of 2024.
In September, a shipwreck off Mbour, Senegal, killed dozens of migrants -- one of many tragic deadly incidents on the dangerous route across the Atlantic. The crossing to the Canaries remains one of the deadliest migration routes worldwide -- more than 9,700 people died on this route in 2024, according to the human rights organization Walking Borders (Caminando Fronteras).
As local authorities on the Canaries struggled to accommodate all newly arrived asylum seekers, they called for extra funding from the central government and secured a promise for 100 million euros in extra funds. Canaries' officials have also suggested changes to the law concerning who is responsible for hosting migrants.
English Channel: Crossing becomes increasingly deadly for migrants, more deaths recorded than ever before
More than 70 people died in connection to the Channel migration route from northern France to the UK this year, according to UN migration agency IOM. Most of them drowned.
The number of deaths was higher than during any previous year recorded by IOM; nearly twice as many people died in 2024 than the two previous years combined. Meanwhile, around 36,000 migrants arrived in the UK in 2024 after setting off from France in small boats, compared with around 30,000 last year and 46,000 in 2022.
There are several reasons for the increased risk of Channel migration. Smugglers are cramming more and more people onto small dinghies. Increased police patrols on French beaches have lead to riskier departures as people try to evade police. People depart during worse weather, and boats are often not put together properly. "Migrants no longer take the time to properly inflate the boats... We notice that migrants no longer install the rigid floor at the bottom of the boats," Salomé Bahri from migrant aid organization Utopia 56 told InfoMigrants.
We spoke to a Syrian man who lost his father during a shipwreck in October. He told us that: "Water started to seep into our boat while we were still only a few meters away from the shore. So we decided to turn around. The smugglers [...] forced us back out to sea."
European Union: Asylum policy reform passed, sparking praise and protests
A large set of asylum and migration law reforms was approved by the European Parliament and the EU Council in April and May. The Pact on Migration and Asylum was praised by supporters as a breakthrough compromise and a step towards a more coherent EU policy after years of negotiation. Many migrant and refugee activists and their supporters protested against the Pact, saying that it would undermine the right to asylum and could expand punitive measures against those seeking safety.
Central Mediterranean: Fewer people crossing, but still many shipwrecks
Far fewer people arrived in Italian shores after crossing the Central Mediterranean this year; arrivals from Tunisia in particular decreased following the signature of a controversial deal between the two countries last year. Over 65,000 people landed on Italy's shores after crossing the Mediterranean in 2024, down significantly from more than 153,000 the previous year.
The crossing from north Africa to Italy or Malta remains one of the deadliest migration routes worldwide. More than 1,600 people died or went missing on the Central Mediterranean migration route this year, according to IOM.
Organizations running private rescue ships in the Mediterranean continued to criticize restrictions introduced by the Italian government, including a decree forbidding subsequent rescue operations that has led to the detainment of NGO ships.
Read AlsoItaly: A year of bold policies to curb irregular immigration
Germany: Easier to become a citizen, but also more restrictions for asylum seekers
In Germany, several reforms affecting migrants, refugees and asylum seekers were passed and went into effect in 2024. It is now easier for foreigners living in Germany to become citizens -- people have to live in the country for fewer years to be eligible, and can keep the citizenship of their home country if that country allows it.
Several changes to Germany's skilled immigration law came into effect this year, making it easier for people with work experience and professional qualifications to enter the country. This includes the introduction of the 'opportunity card', which allows people considered skilled workers who meet a number of criteria to get a visa without having a job lined up.
But Germany also introduced a number of policies restricting rights and benefits for foreigners, in particular asylum seekers and people whose asylum claims have been denied. Several states and municipalities introduced 'payment cards' for asylum seekers instead of bank transfers, and there are plans to roll out the card nationwide. After a man from Syria killed three people in a knife attack in Solingen, a 'security package' was passed that includes cutting benefits for people who already applied for asylum elsewhere in the EU, and measures aimed at speeding up deportations.
Read AlsoGermany: Significant changes for refugees and asylum seekers in 2024
Italy: After spending millions on asylum seeker centers in Albania, deal in limbo
This year, Italy sent 24 asylum seekers to Albania in two groups -- and both times, Italian courts ordered for everyone to be returned to Italy within days of their arrival in Albania. The government approved a new decree aimed at overcoming the legal blocks to sending people to Albania, however, the legality of the decree declaring countries including Egypt and Bangladesh 'safe' has been questioned by many experts. Now, an EU court will have to rule on whether the policy is lawful.
Italy's Albania deal could become one of several attempts by European countries to outsource asylum procedures that have failed in recent years. In June of this year, the new UK prime minister declared the plan to send people to Rwanda "dead and buried" after previous governments suffered several defeats in courts in their effort to push the policy through at all costs.
Paris Olympics: First wins for Refugee Team, 'social cleansing' accusations against city authorities
Cindy Ngamba, a boxer originally from Cameroon, won the first-ever Olympic medal for the Refugee Olympic Team at the Paris Olympics this year. Taekwondo athlete Zakia Khudadadi, originally from Afghanistan, won the first-ever medal for the Refugee Team at the Paralympics, and runner Guillaume Junior Atangana won the second-ever medal for the team. The Refugee Team was founded for the 2016 Olympics so people living in exile who could not compete for their home countries could take part in the games.
Organizations supporting migrants in Paris criticized the local authorities for breaking up camps of unhoused migrants and moving people out of the city ahead of the games. They accused the city of carrying out "social cleansings" ahead of the games and said the Olympics failed to be truly inclusive.
Italy: Death of Satnam Singh draws attention to plight of many migrant workers, protests
The tragic death of Indian farmworker Satnam Singh brought renewed attention to the exploitation of undocumented foreign workers on farms in Italy this year. After Singh's arm had been crushed by a machine, his employer abandoned him on the side of a road near his home. Massive protests took place in the region of Latina where he had worked. Unions and community organizations called for an end to 'caporalato', a system that has been likened to modern slavery where gang-masters recruit migrants in their country of origin to work for landowners in Italy.
Poland, Finland, Latvia: Asylum rights limited at Belarus and Russian border, borders increasingly militarized
Throughout the year, several EU countries bordering on Russia and Belarus extended the fortification of their borders and introduced policies restricting the access to asylum.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced plans to temporarily suspend asylum at the Belarusian border. Poland's government also allowed border guards to fire on migrants following the deadly stabbing of an officer, and reintroduced a no-go zone at the border.
Authorities in Poland and Latvia have been repeatedly accused of carrying out pushbacks; accusations which authorities have rejected. An asylum seeker from Afghanistan told InfoMigrants that he was beaten and pushed back by Latvian border guards.
Finland closed all of its crossings on the border with Russia and started building more fences; it also introduced several restrictions for asylum seekers.
The European Union and eastern member states like Finland and Poland believe that neighboring Russia and Belarus are engaging in 'hybrid warfare' against them, and that sending migrants to their borders is part of that strategy.
Greece: More arrivals from Libya on Gavdos, several deadly shipwrecks
Well over 63,000 people landed on Greek shores this year after crossing mainly from Turkey, but also Libya. Early this year, Greek authorities expressed concern that a new migration route was emerging from Libya to the islands of Gavdos and Crete, located around 300 kilometers across the eastern Mediterranean from the North African country.
Throughout the year, there were reports of shipwrecks off Greece, including a recent shipwreck near Gavdos that likely killed dozens of migrants.
Tunisia: Families mourn migrants who died trying to cross Central Mediterranean, protest at EU and Italian embassies
In Tunisia, families of migrants who died or went missing in attempts to cross to Italy protested in front of the embassies of Italy and the European Union at several points throughout the year.
More than 1,600 people were reported dead or missing trying to cross the Central Mediterranean to Europe in 2024, according to UN migration agency IOM. This includes many people -- including both Tunisians and many sub-Saharan Africans -- who set of from Tunisia which accounted for around 30% of people who landed in Italy in 2024. This makes the north African nation the second most important departure country after Libya (around 64% of those who arrived).
Ireland: Migrants left homeless, not enough spots at reception centers
Many newly arrived asylum seekers were left unhoused temporarily in Ireland this year. Makeshift camps emerged in Dublin, often near the asylum office, and many of which were later dismantled by local authorities.
One man who had been living on the street for six months told InfoMigrants about his struggles: "It’s very cold here, sometimes it prevents me from sleeping. Even if you put on several blankets, you shiver from the cold." Asylum seekers also criticized the living conditions at a center outside Dublin hastily set up by authorities, with one man telling InfoMigrants: "I’d rather live on the street than in these centers."
Ireland saw an increase in arrivals of asylum seekers, mainly from the neighboring UK, while the country was also experiencing a housing crisis. Over 17,000 people filed asylum claims in the first 11 months of 2024; compared with fewer than 12,000 during the same period in 2023.
There were several far-right protests against migrants and centers for asylum seekers in Ireland. Several people were charged with public order offenses in connection to these demonstrations.
In mid-December, 3,010 asylum seekers were registered as 'awaiting an offer for accommodation' by the Irish government. These people typically receive a compensation payment, but at €75 per week, it is not enough to cover a hostel stay or other types of housing for the entire week.
Syria: Refugees celebrate across Europe as dictator Assad ousted
In December 2024, long-time Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad was ousted by a rebel coalition. Syrians across the globe took to the streets to celebrate the fall of his brutal regime, 13 years after the start of the war that displaced half the population; with millions seeking safety abroad.
Many in the Syrian refugee community in Europe expressed optimism about the future of their home country, but many also cautioned it was too early to decide whether the country was now safe to return to.
InfoMigrants spoke to many Syrians living in Germany about the recent developments. "I want to go back to Damascus, as soon as it is safe. My whole family is there," Kurdish-Syrian sweet shop owner Dia Al-Dorgmani told us.
Mohammad Al-Hakim, a Syrian doctor, told us his family would likely stay in Germany. "My children have become used to this country and it has become their home as well," he told InfoMigrants.