Attempts at irregular migration to Europe through the western Mediterranean and Strait of Gibraltar route totalled 2,172 in January and February 2026, making it the only major EU entry route not to register a sharper overall decline, according to preliminary Frontex data.
The EU border agency said crossings on the route were down 9% from a year earlier, not up, despite a strong rise in January.
Frontex said Afghans, Bangladeshis and Algerians were the main nationalities detected on the western Mediterranean route, while Gambians, Senegalese and Guineans were most represented on the Atlantic route to the Canary Islands.
The central Mediterranean remained the busiest corridor, with 3,395 crossings in the first two months of the year, or about 30% of the EU total.
The route remains dangerous. The International Organization for Migration said at least 606 migrants had died or gone missing in the Mediterranean as of Feb. 24, the deadliest start to a year since it began tracking the data in 2014.
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