Frankfurt (Germany), Aug. 14 (LaPresse) – Irregular crossings along the Central Mediterranean route decreased by 55% in the first seven months of 2026 compared to the same period last year. Frontex reports this based on preliminary data, according to which 16,454 crossings were recorded, compared to 36,656 recorded between January and July 2025. The route, with Libya as its main country of departure, remains the second most commonly used route for irregular entries into the European Union, after the Eastern Mediterranean route. According to preliminary data from the European agency, the Central and Eastern Mediterranean routes together account for approximately 60% of all irregular crossings detected at the EU’s external borders in the first seven months of the year.
Frontex: “Migrant Arrivals on the Central Mediterranean Route Down 55%”
Frankfurt (Germany), Aug. 14 (LaPresse) – Irregular crossings along the Central Mediterranean route decreased by 55% in the first seven months of 2026 compared to the same period last year. Frontex reports this based on preliminary data, according to which 16,454 crossings were recorded, compared to 36,656 recorded between January and July 2025. The route, with Libya as its main country of departure, remains the second most commonly used route for irregular entries into the European Union, after the Eastern Mediterranean route. According to preliminary data from the European agency, the Central and Eastern Mediterranean routes together account for approximately 60% of all irregular crossings detected at the EU’s external borders in the first seven months of the year.