A study shows that European countries have spent some €11.3 billion ($12.8 billion) on deporting migrants over the past 15 years.

The results of the study, carried out by the Migrants’ Files, a group of 20 journalists, statisticians, and other experts from 16 countries, was published on Wednesday.

Its findings show that the 28 European Union (EU) countries as well as Norway, Switzerland, and Iceland also spent another €1.6 billion ($1.8 billion) on border control.

The figures provided suggest that the EU border agency Frontex spent about one billion euros on border control, while Mediterranean countries spent at least 70 million euros on purchasing boats, night vision equipment, drones, vehicles, and border monitoring hardware.

According to the report, the deportation process of each individual costs €4,000 ($4,200), with half of the amount going to transport costs.

This is while illegal migrants have spent more than €15.7 billion ($17.8 billion) to enter Europe.

From January through May this year, more than 100,000 people crossed the Mediterranean. Nearly 2,000 died before reaching Europe.

Last year, 600,000 migrants filed for asylum in the EU.

The EU has been trying to reach consensus on a migrant distribution plan, which requires each member state to take in 24,000 refugees. It has also been attempting to reinforce the fight against illegal immigration.

Earlier, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said EU member states remain “far from consensus” on how to distribute the refugees.

“These are difficult discussions we’re having at the moment and all my conversations with European colleagues show that we remain far from consensus and that a lot of persuasion will still be necessary,” he said at a press conference in the German capital, Berlin.

The remarks by Steinmeier came a day after European interior ministers failed to reach agreement on plans to tackle the Mediterranean migrant crisis in a meeting in Luxembourg.

According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), since the beginning of 2015, more than 54,000 migrants have reached the shores of Italy, 48,000 arrived in Greece, 920 migrants in Spain, and 90 in Malta.

SZH/HJL/GHN