Each year, hundreds of men, women and children board overcrowded and ill-equipped boats in an attempt to reach Europe, a phenomenon that started in the late 1980s after European countries tightened immigration policies and made it more difficult to enter such countries in a regular way. This FRA...

The majority of irregular arrivals by sea to the European Union (EU) occur in the Mediterranean. Although the phenomenon is not widespread throughout the EU, it affects the EU as a whole. This publication reviews the solidarity measures the EU has established to support those countries most...

The report examines the procedures for and conduct of checks that border guards carry out on third-country national passengers entering European Union (EU) territory at five international airports. Third-country nationals undergo more thorough border checks than EU/European Economic Area (EEA)...

The situation at land border crossing points into the EU has received less attention than Europe's southern sea borders, where migrants' lives are at risk. Although FRA research shows that land border checks of third-country nationals are generally conducted routinely and take place without...