Migration Observatory

Arrivals and routes

Irregular entry routes into the European Union, with the monthly series since 2009 and the breakdown by declared nationality.

Before reading these figures. Frontex counts border crossings, not people. The file says so itself: the same person may cross the external border several times, and no system tracks individual movements. These figures cannot be added to the Italian Ministry of the Interior's landings or to UNHCR data, which count people.

Detections at irregular border crossings in the EU, January–July of each year since 2009

0100,000200,000300,000400,000200920122015201820212024UE63,8710100,000200,000300,000400,000200920112013201520172019202120232025UE63,871
What it shows

Detections recorded by Frontex at all the external borders of the Union, summed over January–July, the same months for every year.

How to read it

This is the longest series on the site: it is here to give today its measure. The comparison is month-for-month and the axis starts at zero. Frontex counts detections, not people.

Source: Frontex (archived copy)·Figures as of 31 July 2026·Download CSV
View the data as a table
Detections at irregular border crossings in the EU, January–July of each year since 2009
Perioddetections
200961,994
201050,770
201185,342
201247,028
201347,736
2014123,151
2015345,948
2016388,805
2017132,482
201877,953
201955,687
202052,777
202183,355
2022151,227
2023176,527
2024116,553
202597,569
202663,871

Which routes, year by year: January–July from 2009 to 2026

0100,000200,000300,000400,0002009201220152018202120242026
Central MediterraneanEastern MediterraneanWestern BalkansWestern MediterraneanAlbania-GreeceWest African AtlanticEastern bordersBlack SeaOther
What it shows

The same detections as the chart above, split by entry route. The height of each band is its route, the total height is the total.

How to read it

This shows something the total hides: the total can fall while a single route rises. In 2015 almost every detection was on the Eastern Mediterranean; today they are split across several routes. The colours separate the bands and mean nothing: no route is worse than another.

Source: Frontex (archived copy)·Figures as of 31 July 2026·Download CSV
View the data as a table
Which routes, year by year: January–July from 2009 to 2026
RouteDetections
Central Mediterranean740,943
Eastern Mediterranean649,733
Western Balkans449,442
Western Mediterranean131,738
Albania-Greece78,361
West African Atlantic71,275
Eastern borders36,929
Black Sea330
Other24

Routes compared, January–July 2026

Eastern Mediterranean21,240-24% vs 2025
202621,240
202528,068
Trend 2015–2026
Central Mediterranean16,639-55% vs 2025
202616,639
202536,656
Trend 2015–2026
Western Mediterranean12,876+48% vs 2025
202612,876
20258,694
Trend 2015–2026
Western Balkans4,841-27% vs 2025
20264,841
20256,611
Trend 2015–2026
West African Atlantic4,682-60% vs 2025
20264,682
202511,575
Trend 2015–2026
Eastern borders3,247-43% vs 2025
20263,247
20255,706
Trend 2015–2026
Albania-Greece330+28% vs 2025
2026330
2025257
Trend 2015–2026
Black Sea162 in 2025
202616
20252
Trend 2015–2026
Other0
20260
20250
Trend 2015–2026
What it shows

Detections recorded by Frontex at the external borders of the Union, split by entry route.

How to read it

The two bars are the same period in two different years, on the same scale: they compare with each other and with every other route. The line on the right is the trend over the same months since 2015, and each route has its own scale: it tells you whether that route is rising or falling, not how big it is compared with the others — the bars say that. Frontex counts detections, not people: someone who crosses several times is counted several times.

Source: Frontex (archived copy)·Figures as of 31 July 2026·Download CSV
View the data as a table
Routes compared, January–July 2026
RouteDetections
Eastern Mediterranean21,240
Central Mediterranean16,639
Western Mediterranean12,876
Western Balkans4,841
West African Atlantic4,682
Eastern borders3,247
Albania-Greece330
Black Sea16
Other0

Eastern Mediterranean: detections by month

062,500125,000187,500250,000200920122015201820212024Eastern Mediterranean3,688062,500125,000187,500250,000200920112013201520172019202120232025Eastern Mediterranean3,688
What it shows

The full monthly series published by Frontex for this route.

How to read it

The axis starts at zero. The most recent month may be revised later: Frontex publishes updates as member states consolidate their figures.

Source: Frontex (archived copy)·Figures as of 31 July 2026·Download CSV
View the data as a table
Eastern Mediterranean: detections by month
Perioddetections
2023-088,048
2023-0912,971
2023-108,659
2023-115,917
2023-126,796
2024-014,410
2024-025,355
2024-033,878
2024-043,868
2024-054,659
2024-063,631
2024-075,562
2024-087,478
2024-098,732
2024-109,130
2024-118,200
2024-125,045
2025-013,695
2025-022,853
2025-033,235
2025-042,555
2025-053,560
2025-065,020
2025-077,150
2025-084,105
2025-095,390
2025-105,637
2025-113,638
2025-125,664
2026-012,276
2026-021,741
2026-032,678
2026-041,985
2026-053,937
2026-064,935
2026-073,688

Nationalities declared on landing in Italy, 2026

Bangladesh5,46525%
Somalia2,54212%
Algeria2,50412%
Sudan1,6718%
Altre1,6578%
Pakistan1,4677%
Eritrea1,4307%
Egitto1,3546%
Tunisia1,1615%
Mali4252%
Nigeria3542%
Costa d'Avorio3051%
Etiopia3031%
Iran3011%
Sud Sudan2541%
Guinea2521%
What it shows

Nationalities declared on landing, cumulative since 1 January.

How to read it

This is the declared nationality, not a verified one. The «Other» entry covers every nationality beyond the top fifteen and exists so the figures add up to the total.

Source: Ministero dell’Interno (archived copy)·Figures as of 16 September 2026·provisional·Download CSV
View the data as a table
Nationalities declared on landing in Italy, 2026
Nationalitypeople
Bangladesh5,465
Somalia2,542
Algeria2,504
Sudan1,671
Altre1,657
Pakistan1,467
Eritrea1,430
Egitto1,354
Tunisia1,161
Mali425
Nigeria354
Costa d'Avorio305
Etiopia303
Iran301
Sud Sudan254
Guinea252