The overall decrease was observed on most major routes into the EU, although trends differed by route:

• The Central Mediterranean route, linking North Africa, particularly Libya and Tunisia, to Italy, recorded the largest decrease, with detections down by 56% compared with the first nine months of 2025.
   

• The Western Mediterranean route, connecting North Africa to Spain, was the only major route to record an increase. Detections rose by 26%, particularly at the land border between Morocco and Spain.
   

• The Eastern Mediterranean route, which includes journeys from Türkiye towards Greece and the Greek islands, remained the busiest, with around 31.800 crossings detected, 15% fewer than in the same period last year.
   

• The Western African route, leading from countries such as Mauritania, Senegal and The Gambia towards Spain’s Canary Islands, saw detections fall by 45%. However, they rose sharply in September compared with August.
   

• Attempts to cross the Channel towards the United Kingdom fell by 43%. This figure includes both people who reached the UK and those prevented from departing.

Despite the overall decrease, dangerous sea crossings continue to cost lives. According to the International Organization for Migration, nearly 2.000 people had died in the Mediterranean since the beginning of 2026.

For further details, please read the press release from Frontex.