The number of migrants intercepted on their way to the European Union via the Central Mediterranean tripled in the first quarter of 2023 compared to the same period last year, the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex) said on Thursday.

The route, which passes through southern Italian waters, is currently the most transited to the EU, with almost 28,000 people detained on the route between January and March 2023, triple the number in 2022, according to a report published on Thursday .

According to the agency, “organized criminal groups have taken advantage of the better climate and political instability in some countries of origin to try to smuggle as many migrants as possible across the Central Mediterranean from Tunisia and Libya.”

Frontex warns that there were 13,200 interceptions in March alone out of 28,000 recorded for the entire quarter, indicating an increase in migratory activity in the central Mediterranean region.

The countries of origin of the detainees: in descending order of numbers, Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea and Pakistan.

On the other hand, Frontex details in its report that there were 26% more attempts to enter the EU illegally in the first quarter of this year, with a total of 54,000 cases, compared to around 43,000 in the same period in 2022.

The Central Mediterranean route accounts for more than half of all illegal border crossings with the EU, while the Western Balkans route, which was the second busiest with around 6,200 interceptions, recorded 22% less traffic than last year.

Overall, 60% more migrants and refugees were intercepted in March than in the same month last year.

The government in Rome declared a state of emergency in Italy on Tuesday after the arrival of more than 3,000 migrants in the past three days and the presence of another 1,200 people on two boats headed for the Italian coast, escorted by the Italian coast guard.