BERLIN - A significant increase in illegal migration to Europe was again observed in 2023, with Germany proving to be the main destination country in the European Union (EU), according to a report released Wednesday by the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA).

The BKA said that the European Border and Coast Guard Agency reported approximately 380,200 unauthorized border crossings at EU/Schengen external borders last year, which represents the highest annual figure since 2016 and underscores growing pressures on Europe's borders.

Within this EU-wide trend, Germany saw a particularly sharp increase. The BKA reported that 266,224 individuals were suspected of unauthorized entry and residence in Germany in 2023, marking a 33.4 percent increase compared to the previous year.

A majority of these migrants entering Germany originated from Syria, with 54,207 arrivals, followed by 35,732 from Turkey and 35,370 from Afghanistan. "Many of these individuals depended on smugglers to facilitate their journey into Germany," the report said, adding that around 39,700 people suspected of being smuggled were checked at German borders last year.

It also pointed to a disturbing rise in container smuggling. The number of cases doubled to about 1,200, while the number of individuals smuggled in this manner surged nearly fivefold to approximately 17,500.

"These operations often involved the use of easily rentable vans, which do not require special licenses, making them a preferred choice for smugglers," the BKA said.

According to German public broadcaster ZDF, more than 200 escape attempts were reported across the country in 2023 in connection with so-called container smuggling, and one in four resulted in an accident.

The increase in smuggling activities has been accompanied by a 26.6 percent rise in the number of registered smuggling suspects in the country and a 60.5 percent increase in the number of smuggling cases.

The smuggling groups acted in a way that was increasingly risk-taking, and "ruthless towards the smuggled persons, uninvolved third parties and deployed police forces in order to evade control and thus prosecution," the report said.

Messenger services like Telegram and WhatsApp were predominantly used for communication within smuggling networks, the BKA noted. ZDF also reported that smuggling organizations used social media platforms to market their services. Short videos promoting smuggling routes to Germany were actively shared on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. These platforms were also used to recruit drivers for smuggling operations.

In light of the growing challenges posed by smuggling crimes, the BKA emphasized the need for enhanced cross-border cooperation among law enforcement authorities in countries of origin, transit, and destination, saying that such collaboration "remains crucial".