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The number of irregular border crossings into the European Union continued to fall in the first ten months of 2026, with detections down by 29% compared with the same period last year. Almost 110 000 crossings were recorded, according to preliminary data collected by Frontex. The decline on nearly all of the major migratory routes reflects sustained cooperation with partner countries and preventive measures in key departure states, which continue to reduce the number of boats setting out towards Europe.

In October alone, some 18 100 crossings were detected, 6% fewer than in October 2025 but 22% more than in September, largely because of a sharp rise in arrivals on the Western African route to the Canary Islands. Under the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum, a single, standardised screening process now applies at the EU’s external borders. Frontex officers support member states in key steps of the process, including establishing the nationality of arrivals, collecting biometric data and verifying documents.

• The Eastern Mediterranean and the Central Mediterranean remained the busiest routes, together accounting for almost 60% of all irregular entries into the EU.
• The Central Mediterranean saw the steepest decline, with detections down by 55% compared with the same period last year.
• The Western Mediterranean was the only major route to record an increase, with detections up by 21%.
• Detections on the Western African route rose sharply in October, to four times the level of a year earlier, although the route remains down by 13% over the ten months.

The overall number of irregular arrivals continues to fall, but the human cost remains high. According to the International Organization for Migration, more than 2 000 people have lost their lives in the Mediterranean so far this year. Each of these deaths is a reminder of the risks people are pushed to take. Smuggling networks continue to send them to sea in overcrowded and unseaworthy boats, whatever the conditions.

Developments beyond the EU’s external borders remain a source of uncertainty. Large-scale returns of Afghan nationals from Iran and Pakistan continue to shape movements towards Europe, and instability across the Sahel is driving departures towards both the Western African and the Western Mediterranean routes. The recent rise on the Western African route shows how quickly these pressures can reach the EU’s external borders, and Frontex continues to monitor developments closely.

With more than 3 800 officers present at the EU’s external borders, Frontex continues to support national authorities in safeguarding Europe’s borders and saving lives at sea.

The Eastern Mediterranean was the busiest route in the first ten months of the year, with around 38 200 crossings recorded, a fall of 12% compared with the same period last year. The corridor from Libya to Crete was the busiest section on the route, ahead of the land border with Türkiye and the eastern Aegean islands, with Cyprus accounting for a small share. Some 5 900 crossings were detected in October, slightly more than a year earlier. The main nationalities detected were Sudanese, Bangladeshi and Afghan.

The Central Mediterranean recorded around 26 600 arrivals, 55% fewer than in the same period last year and the steepest fall of all routes. Libya remained the main departure hub, accounting for around three quarters of arrivals on the route, ahead of the Tunisian and Algerian corridors. With more than 16 000 people also reaching Crete from Libya, the country was the starting point for more than a third of all irregular arrivals in the EU this year. Crossings from Algeria to Italy, while far fewer, have grown steadily and reached a monthly record in September, with unprecedented activity towards Sardinia. The main nationalities detected were Bangladeshi, Algerian and Somali.

The Western Mediterranean was the only major route to register an increase, with around 19 700 detections, up by 21% year-on-year. Algeria remained the main departure country for sea crossings, with the Balearic Islands and the Spanish mainland the principal destinations. The Balearics remain the most dangerous entry point on the route. The main nationalities detected were Algerian, Moroccan and Malian.

The Western African route registered around 12 300 detections in the first ten months, 13% fewer than a year earlier, but the trend has turned sharply since the end of the summer. Some 5 100 crossings were detected in October alone, four times as many as in October 2025 and two and a half times the September figure, making it the second busiest route of the month after the Eastern Mediterranean. Many of the boats landed on El Hierro, the westernmost of the Canary Islands, and departures are increasingly reported from further south along the West African coast, which means longer and more dangerous crossings. The main nationalities detected were Senegalese, Moroccan and Gambian.

Attempts detected on exit towards the UK across the Channel, which include both those who reached the UK and those prevented from leaving, fell by 40% to some 35 200, with around 4 100 recorded in October. The main nationalities detected were Somali, Sudanese and Eritrean. Smuggling networks increasingly rely on so-called taxi boats, which pick up people waiting in the water along the coast, and have moved departures further west along the French coast.

* Note: The preliminary data presented in this statement refer to the number of detections of irregular border crossings at the external borders of the European Union. The same person may cross the border several times in different locations at the external border. Frontex figures are compiled from data reported by national authorities. Data for the Western Mediterranean land route for 30 and 31 July are not included. No definitive total is likely to be established, as most of those who crossed had returned to Morocco before they could be registered.