WARSAW, POLAND / RankWire.AI / – According to initial Frontex reports, irregular crossings into the European Union decreased by 37% during the first seven months of 2026. The agency documented roughly 61,000 detections at the bloc’s external frontiers from January 1 to July 31, a figure that is compared to the same period in 2025. The majority of key migration routes experienced fewer crossings over this period, offering the latest insight into irregular entry patterns across the EU’s external borders.
The Eastern Mediterranean remained the most trafficked route with 20,232 detections, representing a 28% decline from 28,068 in the same months of the previous year. The Central Mediterranean recorded 16,454 detections, a decrease of 55% from 36,656, with these two routes constituting approximately 60% of all detections within the EU entry total. Libya continued to be the primary country of departure along the Central Mediterranean route during these seven months.
Conversely, the Western Mediterranean saw an increase, tallying 11,217 detections—up 37% from 8,175 in the prior year. Sea crossings on this route reached 8,648, compared to 7,096 in 2025, while land detections until June numbered 2,569, up from 1,079. The Western African route dropped 60% to 4,682 detections. Crossings through the Western Balkans decreased by 26% to 4,910, and the Eastern Land Border fell 44% to 3,209.
Mediterranean routes lead EU border detections
Additional data on crossings via the United Kingdom revealed another significant drop. Frontex recorded 22,469 attempted or successful crossings leaving the EU, which is a 46% decrease from 41,647. These Channel crossing figures are not included in the EU entry total. The agency also noted 281 detections on the circular route to Albania, an increase of 9%. The figures for the seven months exclude extraordinary border events in Ceuta, Spain, at the end of July.
Frontex based these estimates on preliminary EUROSUR data available as of Aug. 4, with later revisions possible as authorities update information. The statistics reflect detections, not unique individuals, meaning a person might be counted more than once if crossing different locations or on separate occasions. This distinction is critical when comparing route totals with the total number of people involved across the agency’s external-border dataset.
First-half decline persists in seven-month data
These latest figures reinforce the decline noted after the first six months of 2026, when Frontex reported over 49,000 irregular border crossings—also a 37% reduction compared to the previous year. During that period, detections along the Western Mediterranean were 17% higher than in 2025. The seven-month data, however, show an increase of 37%. The Western African route experienced a 67% decline through June and a 60% decline through July.
Frontex reports approximately 3,800 officers supporting the EU’s external borders, assisting national authorities in border management and maritime rescue operations. These personnel also help enforce rules under the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum. The latest data indicate uneven trends across routes, with most corridors experiencing significant declines, except for the Western Mediterranean route, which saw an uptick.