Frontex announced on Wednesday 11 June that irregular crossings had fallen by 20% in the first five months of 2025, to 63,700, according to preliminary data.
The central Mediterranean remains the busiest route this year, accounting for one in three arrivals in the EU. But the Western Balkans recorded the biggest drop in arrivals between January and May (-56%). The nationalities most frequently reported on this route were Bangladeshi, Afghan and Malian nationals.
In the central Mediterranean, 22,700 irregular crossings were recorded in the first five months of 2025, a slight increase (+7%) compared with the same period last year. Libya remains the main country of exit for migrants on this route, with a significant increase this year, offsetting a fall of almost 90% in departures from Tunisia.
The Eastern Mediterranean was the second most active route, with 15,600 irregular crossings, down 30% on 2024.
On the West African route, the number of arrivals fell by a third to almost 11,100. The main nationalities on this corridor were Malian, Senegalese and Guinean.
This significant drop “can be attributed to a number of factors: tighter border controls and migration policies in Mauritania, poor weather conditions, and closer cooperation between the EU and the countries of departure. Joint Spanish-Moroccan patrols have also played a key role in combating migrant smuggling activities near the Canary Islands.
Link to data: https://aeur.eu/f/h94 (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)