According to a new report that Frontex published on Friday, 10 July, irregular EU border crossings fell 37% in the first half of 2026, with 49,000 entries recorded.
The agency attributes this drop to controls being tightened and to “sustained cooperation” with partner countries – notably in West Africa, where flows plummeted 67%.
Nonetheless, flows in the Western Mediterranean rose 17%, with Algeria becoming one of the top points of departure after neighbouring routes were locked down.
Frontex notes a 44% decrease in attempts to cross the English Channel to the United Kingdom. The agency predicts that patrols along the French coast will be strengthened in connection with the agreement that the United Kingdom and France signed in April – and that the European Commission recently supplemented with an action plan on illegal migration along the Channel (see EUROPE 13889/15).
Despite this general decline, the human cost is still tragic. Since January, nearly 1,300 migrants have died at sea during perilous crossings arranged by smugglers. The European Commission just presented a new sanctions regime to combat migrant smuggling yesterday (see EUROPE 13906/11). (Original version in French by Justine Manaud)