Migrants: sharp fall in illegal arrivals – down 55 per cent in the central Mediterranean
Figures for the first eight months of the year: a 35 per cent fall in unauthorised crossings of the EU’s external borders
Key points
The number of irregular border crossings into the European Union continued to fall in the first eight months of 2026, with a 35 per cent decrease in detected cases compared with the same period last year.
According to preliminary data collected by Frontex, over 74,000 crossings were recorded. The Central Mediterranean route recorded around 19,400 arrivals, 55 per cent fewer than in the same period last year and the second sharpest decline across all routes (led by West Africa, with a 58 per cent drop, which, however, equates to just 5,070 people).
The influx from Ceuta has not been counted
The figures do not take into account the massive influx of people from Morocco into Ceuta at the end of July. “It will probably not be possible to establish a definitive figure,” says Frontex, “as most of those who crossed the border had already returned to Morocco before they could be registered.”
The busiest routes
The Eastern Mediterranean and the Central Mediterranean remained the busiest routes, together accounting for almost 60 per cent of all irregular entries into the EU.
The western Mediterranean, in particular, was the only major route to record an increase, with a 34 per cent rise in the number of cases detected, mainly due to departures from Algeria. In August alone, a total of around 10,700 crossings were recorded, 38 per cent fewer than in August 2025, despite the summer months usually being the busiest time of the year.
