The European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex) released a statement indicating that during the first eight months of the year, approximately 75 thousand irregular entries into the European Union (EU) were recorded, representing a 35% reduction compared to the previous year.
The agency observed a decrease in practically all major migration routes, with the exception of the Western Mediterranean route, which covers southern Spain.
Although the data presented by Frontex does not include the entry of thousands of migrants into Ceuta on July 30th and 31st—an estimate by the Spanish Government of at least 72 thousand—the agency points out that there was a 34% increase on this specific route, totaling 15,909 detections.
On this Western Mediterranean route, Algeria was identified as the main point of departure, with the Balearic Islands and mainland Spain being the most frequent destinations, according to Frontex.
The agency highlighted that pressure increased considerably in July, reaching the highest monthly level in the last three years, before showing a decline in August. This growth in the region suggests a change in the routes used by smugglers.
Frontex attributes this movement to the reinforcement of controls implemented in Morocco and the adjacent areas of West Africa and the Central Mediterranean, which would have diverted more departures to the Algerian coasts.
In contrast, all other migration routes analyzed by Frontex showed a notable drop when compared to the figures from 2025.
The Eastern Mediterranean remains the main entry point into the EU, covering the coast of Greece, with 24,239 detected entries, which constitutes a 25% reduction compared to 2025.
The largest reduction was observed on the West African route towards the Canary Islands, registering 5,070 detections, a 58% drop compared to 2025. Similarly, in the Central Mediterranean, which includes southern Italy, 19,411 entries were detected, representing a 55% decrease compared to 2025.
Regarding the Central Mediterranean route, Libya is the point of origin for about two-thirds of the migrants, although Frontex acknowledges that inspection operations, detection campaigns, and returns carried out by local authorities have contributed to the reduction of these numbers.
Frontex also emphasized that despite the trend of reduced irregular entries into the EU, the human impact of these crossings remains very high.
Citing the International Organization for Migration, the agency stressed that more than 1,800 people have lost their lives in the Mediterranean since the beginning of the year, emphasizing the dangers faced by individuals, given that smuggling networks use overcrowded and inadequate vessels for navigation.
Hans Leijtens, Executive Director of Frontex, quoted in the statement, stated that although fewer people are trying to enter Europe, the situation in Ceuta demonstrated that 'a quiet border can change in just a few hours.' He added that smuggling networks do not disappear with the drop in numbers but rather adapt, waiting for an opportunity to exploit, and that the agency's role is to be prepared for that moment.
The agency justified the non-inclusion of Ceuta data in July because it considers unlikely to establish a 'definitive total' of the number of people who entered the enclave, given that most returned to Morocco without being registered.