Frontex: Irregular border crossings into the EU down 1/3 in first 8 months of 2026

The Eastern Mediterranean was the busiest route in the first eight months of the year, with more than 24 200 crossings recorded, a fall of 25% compared with the same period last year. The corridor from Libya to Crete was the most active on the route over the period as a whole. By July the land border with Türkiye had become the busiest section, ahead of the Aegean islands. Some 3 000 crossings were detected in August. The main nationalities detected on the route were Afghan, Sudanese and Bangladeshi.

The Central Mediterranean recorded around 19 400 arrivals, 55% fewer than in the same period last year and the second-steepest fall of all routes. Libya remained the main departure hub, accounting for around two thirds of arrivals on the route, ahead of the Algerian and Tunisian corridors. Enforcement operations, detention campaigns and returns carried out by the authorities in Libya and Tunisia have suppressed departures. The main nationalities detected were Bangladeshi, Somali and Algerian.

The Western Mediterranean was the only major route to register an increase, with around 15 900 detections, up by 34% year-on-year. As set out above, this total does not include the Ceuta crossings in late July. Algeria remained the main departure country, with the Balearic Islands and the Spanish mainland the principal destinations. Pressure surged in July, when the route reached a three-year monthly high, before easing again in August. The rise reflects a shift in smuggling routes, as stricter controls in Morocco and on the neighbouring Western African and Central Mediterranean routes have pushed more departures towards Algerian shores.

The Western African route registered around 5 100 detections, the steepest decline of all routes at 58%. Preventive measures implemented by Mauritania, and more recently by Senegal in cooperation with Spain and the EU, have significantly reduced departures. The flow remains volatile, however. July brought a marked seasonal rise, with an increasing share of boats setting out from The Gambia, Senegal and even Guinea-Bissau, exposing people to longer and more dangerous journeys towards the Canary Islands.

Attempts detected on exit towards the UK across the Channel, which include both those who reached the UK and those prevented from leaving, fell by 43% to some 26 600. Crossings remained elevated through the summer, and smuggling networks made increasing use of heavily overcrowded boats, with one vessel carrying 165 people in late July. The agreement between the UK and France signed in April is expected to further strengthen patrols along the French coast in the coming months.