Irregular migrant crossings into the EU dropped by 42% in the first nine months of 2024 compared to the same period last year, according to Frontex.

Frontex released its latest statistics shortly before a summit of the bloc's leaders in Brussels later this week, where immigration is among topics high on the agenda.

The number of detected crossings into the EU "fell by 42% to 166,000 in the first nine months of this year," Frontex said.

It said the biggest falls were along the routes through the Western Balkans and Central Mediterranean.

Nearly 17,000 would-be asylum-seekers crossed into the 27-member EU via the Western Balkans, a 79% drop. Some 47,700 entered via the Central Mediterranean, a fall of 64%.

By contrast, Frontex said crossings via the Western African route had doubled, reaching over 30,600 in the first nine months of the year.

The biggest rise was registered at the EU's eastern land borders, including into Poland. Almost 13,200 crossings were detected, a 192% increase on January-September 2023.

Poland and its Central European neighbor, the Czech Republic, called last week for EU restrictions that are tougher than those in the bloc's new pact on migration and asylum, which is due to come into force in 2026.

The rules, adopted in May, aim to share the responsibility for hosting asylum seekers across the 27 countries in the EU and to speed up the deportation of people deemed ineligible to stay.