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GENEVA (AP) — Swiss customs authorities say the number of undocumented migrants who entered Switzerland last year shrank nearly by half compared to a record influx in 2016.
The Federal Customs Administration says border guards found 27,300 people on illegal stays in Switzerland in 2017, down from nearly 49,000 cases the previous year.
The U.N.' s International Organization Migration says about 119,000 migrants crossed last year from Libya to Italy, the main route used by migrants who enter Switzerland — possibly with aims of heading further north. That compared to 179,000 in 2016.
Intensified Libyan coast guard patrols, a record number of repatriations by air from Libya, and use of alternate routes contributed to the decline.
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