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Frontex: A decrease in the number of illegal crossings into the EU was recorded in 2025

2026-01-16 08:44:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

Frontex: A decrease in the number of illegal crossings into the EU was recorded

The number of irregular border crossings recorded in the European Union fell by 26 percent last year compared to 2024.

The European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex), headquartered in Warsaw, Poland, reports nearly 178,000 border crossing attempts into the EU. This is the lowest figure since 2021.

The majority of people Frontex identified during irregular border crossings were citizens from Afghanistan, Egypt and Bangladesh, according to the latest report published by Frontex.

The situation at the EU's external borders remains uncertain

Frontex also warned that the situation at the EU's external borders remains precarious. "The trend is moving in the right direction, but risks exist," said Frontex director Hans Leijtens.

Migration pressure can change rapidly - influenced by conflicts, political instability and smuggling networks. At the same time, he praised his agency's close cooperation with governments and partners in countries outside the EU, which he said had yielded good results.

EU Commissioner for Migration, Magnus Brunner, praised the significant decline as "the result of strengthening external borders and effective international partnerships" .

The EU's migration diplomacy is working, the Austrian politician declared. "The figures mean that fewer people are being smuggled, fewer people are suffering from abuse and fewer lives are at risk."

According to Frontex, the number of migrants attempting to enter the EU via the West African route (down 63 percent), the Western Balkans route (down 42 percent) and the EU's eastern land borders with Belarus (down 37 percent) fell significantly in 2025. The border agency attributes the significantly lower number of people attempting to enter the EU via the Western Balkans route to improved security measures and cooperation with Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The Mediterranean region remains the main refugee route

The most used migration route to the EU remains the Central Mediterranean region, from where almost a third of all irregular border entries took place in 2025.

The route from Libya to North Africa to Italy was often chosen for this crossing. Compared to last year, there was almost no change: Frontex recorded 66,328 attempts to enter the EU via the Mediterranean last year.

Illegal sailings to Crete have tripled

A different picture emerges for the route through the eastern Mediterranean. While the overall number of irregular border crossings fell by 27 percent, the border protection authority here recorded three times as many attempts as in 2024 to reach the EU from eastern Libya to the Greek island of Crete.

This shows how quickly migration pressures and preferred routes can change, the report says.

Irregular crossings also increased last year via the western Mediterranean route - for example, from Algeria in North Africa to Spain. Frontex recorded 14 percent more crossings than in 2024.

According to Frontex, Libya was the main departure point for many migrant groups in 2025, and therefore a key starting point for migration across the Mediterranean. This crossing continues to be fraught with high risks. The International Organization for Migration estimates that at least 1,878 people lost their lives in the Mediterranean during 2025. /DW