Warsaw (dpa) – In 2025, irregular border crossings into the European Union decreased by over 25% from the previous year, as indicated by data from the EU border control agency Frontex.
The agency, based in Warsaw, reported on Thursday that there were nearly 178,000 attempted crossings last year, marking the lowest figure since 2021.
Frontex characterized this decline as a noteworthy development but cautioned that the situation at the EU’s external borders remains precarious. “While the trend is positive, risks persist,” stated Frontex Director Hans Leijtens.
Leijtens noted that effective collaboration with governments and partners in non-EU countries has resulted in positive outcomes.
Last year, there was a substantial reduction in irregular entries via the West African route (down 63%), the Western Balkans route (down 42%), and the EU’s land border with Belarus (down 37%), according to Frontex.
The agency attributed the decline in the Western Balkans to enhanced security measures and cooperation with Bosnia-Herzegovina, an EU candidate nation.
Majority of migrants from Egypt, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan
Frontex reported that most individuals attempting irregular border crossings were of Bangladeshi, Egyptian, or Afghan nationality. The primary migration route into the EU continues to be through the Mediterranean, which accounted for nearly one-third of all irregular crossings in 2025; the Libya-Italy route was the most frequently used.
Overall, there was little change on the Mediterranean route compared to the previous year, with Frontex recording 66,328 sea attempts in 2025, a 1% decrease from the prior year.
An analysis of the eastern Mediterranean showed a 27% drop in irregular border crossings. However, Frontex noted a threefold increase in attempts to reach the EU from eastern Libya to the Greek island of Crete compared to 2024.
Conversely, the number of crossings from Algeria to Spain rose by 14% in 2025.
In contrast, there was a slight reduction in crossings to the United Kingdom, with attempts to traverse the English Channel falling by 3% from the previous year. (15 January)
Responsibility for the publication rests with dpa.
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