ST R AT E G IC E NV IR ONME NT Migration: decline of movements to Europe Migration movements do not in themselves constitute a security threat to Switzerland. Migrants may, however, include isolated individuals who have links to terrorist circles or who have terrorist intentions. Migration can also foster ethnic tensions or violent extremism and influence crime trends. In 2018, the asylum and migration situation in Europe continued to ease compared to previous years. A total of approximately 628,000 asylum applications were submitted in the EU in 2018, down from over a million in 2015. The asylum situation in Switzerland is mainly dictated by migration movements on the central Mediterranean route to Italy. This route was used by around 23,000 people in 2018, significantly fewer than in previous years. This decline is not least a consequence of the Italian government’s tough policy on migration and the increased effectiveness of the Libyan coastguard. The migrants on the central Mediterranean route came mainly from Tunisia, Eritrea, Iraq, Sudan and Pakistan, and the majority entered via Libya, with around a quarter coming via Tunisia. In 2018, the western route from Morocco to Spain by sea and by land became the main route, travelled by SIT UAT ION R E PORT 2 0 1 9 | FIS 27