As anti-migrant sentiment rises across Europe, from France to Germany to Hungary, the citizens of sub-Saharan Africa trying to reach the continent are being pushed back by North African governments in proportions unseen in years. The E.U. has signed bilateral agreements with Tunisia, Morocco, Libya, Mauritania, that include financial support to curb migrant flows.

The strategy appears to be working: illegal border crossings dropped sharply in 2024, according to recent data from the European Union’s border agency, Frontex.

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