Frontex

📉 Irregular border crossings into the EU: down 32% in the first nine months of 2026

🔹 Just over 91 000 detections

🔹 Steepest drop: Central Mediterranean (-56%)

🔹 Only increase: Western Mediterranean (+26%)

Details ➡️ frontex.europa.eu/media-centre/n…

📉 Irregular border crossings into the EU: down 35% in Jan-Aug 2026

🔹 More than 74 000 detections
🔹 Steepest drop: Western African route (-58%)
🔹 Only increase: Western Mediterranean (+34%)
🔹 Excludes the July movement into Ceuta

More details: frontex.europa.eu/media-centre/n…

📉 Irregular border crossings into the EU: down 37% in the first half of 2026
🔹 Just over 49 000 detections
🔹 Steepest drop: Western African route
🔹 Only increase: Western Mediterranean
Details ➡️ frontex.europa.eu/media-centre/n…

Returns are a cornerstone of credible migration management. In 2025, Frontex supported 29 Member States on returns.
 
Return operations supported by Frontex rose 13%: 56,262 in 2024 to 63,493 in 2025. Voluntary returns: 41,369 (65%). Forced returns: 22,124 (35%).
 
Return counselling: 17,809 one-to-one sessions. Reintegration support: 19,144 people registered under the EU Reintegration Programme. #Frontex #Returns
frontex.europa.eu/2025-in-brief/

📢Situation at EU external borders: JAN-FEB 2026
📊Severe weather contributes to a 52% drop in irregular border crossings into the EU
⚠️ Central Mediterranean is the busiest route, accounting for nearly 30% of all entries into the EU
📉Western African route sees the biggest drop (-83%)
👉For more insights, read our press release: frontex.europa.eu/media-centre/n…