Berlin.- Irregular migrant entries into the European Union (EU) in the western Mediterranean, in the Strait of Gibraltar region, increased by 37% in the first seven months of the year, reaching 11,217 crossings, according to Frontex, the European border surveillance agency.
According to the report published this Friday by the Warsaw-based agency, along this route, the only “major” one that recorded an increase, 8,648 entries were detected by sea (compared to 7,096 in the same period of the previous year) and 2,569 by land (compared to 1,079 the previous year).
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These data do not reflect the “exceptional events” that occurred in the Spanish enclave of Ceuta at the end of June, the bulletin warned.
In general, however, the downward trend already reflected in the first six months of 2026 continued, as compared to 2025, 37% fewer irregular border crossing attempts were detected at the EU’s external borders, totaling about 61,000.
The West Africa route (to the Canary Islands) experienced a 60% reduction in the first seven months, down to 4,682 arrivals.
In the central Mediterranean (the route to Italy), irregular migration decreased by 55%, as Frontex intercepted 16,454 entry attempts.
The highest figure continued to be in the Eastern Mediterranean, with 20,232 interceptions, although in this case a 28% decrease was also documented compared to the first seven months of 2025.
The general decline reflects a series of factors, Frontex explained, including “continued cooperation with partner countries” and “preventive measures” adopted by countries from which migrants and asylum seekers depart with the intention of reaching Europe.
