Migrant entry numbers into Europe hit six-year high

BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union’s border and coast guard agency says that the number of attempts by migrants to enter Europe without authorization reached around 330,000 last year. Frontex says that’s the highest number since 2016. The agency’s estimates released Friday say that almost half of the attempts were made over land through the Western Balkans region. Syrians, Afghans and Tunisians together accounted for roughly 47% of the attempted border crossings. The EU’s 27 nations have been at loggerheads since 2015 when well over 1 million people entered and sparked one of the bloc’s biggest political crises. Most of them were Syrians fleeing conflict. EU members continue to argue over how best to manage migrant arrivals.