According to data published on Tuesday, June 10, 2025, by the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex), the number of attempted illegal crossings of the European Union’s external borders in the first five months of 2025 dropped by 20% to approximately 63,700, compared to the same period last year (Illegal migration to Europe in the first quarter of 2025).
Photos and images: Frontex
Frontex, with over 3,300 officers stationed along the EU’s external borders, works in cooperation with national authorities to protect borders and save lives at sea.
Key highlights:
- The central Mediterranean route remains the busiest so far this year, accounting for one in three illegal attempts to enter the EU.
- The Western Balkans route recorded the most significant drop in arrivals between January and May (-56%).
- The most frequently detected nationalities: Bangladeshi, Afghan, Malian.
On the Central Mediterranean route, 22,675 attempts to illegally cross the EU’s external border were recorded (a 7% increase compared to the same period last year), including 6,855 in May alone. The most frequently apprehended were nationals of Bangladesh, Eritrea, and Egypt.
On the Eastern Mediterranean route, 15,618 attempts were recorded between January and May, with 3,289 in May alone (a 30% decrease compared to the first five months of 2024). The most frequently apprehended were nationals of Afghanistan, Egypt, and Sudan.
On the Western Mediterranean route, 5,058 attempts were recorded (including 1,446 in May alone), representing a 6% increase compared to last year. The most frequently apprehended were nationals of Algeria, Morocco, and Somalia.
On the Western African route, a total of 11,065 attempts were recorded in the first five months, of which 595 occurred in May alone. This represents a 35% decrease compared to the same period last year. The most frequently apprehended were nationals of Mali, Senegal, and Guinea.
On the Western Balkans route, 4,055 attempts to illegally cross into the EU were recorded, 581 of them in May. This is a 56% decrease compared to the previous year. Most of the migrants were nationals of Turkey, Syria, and Afghanistan.
On the eastern border of the EU (Poland, Lithuania, and Latvia with Belarus, and Poland with Ukraine), 5,062 crossing attempts were recorded from January to May — a 7% decrease compared to the same period last year. In May alone, 488 such cases occurred. Most apprehended individuals were nationals of Ukraine, Ethiopia, and Somalia.
On the English Channel route, the number of detected individuals attempting to cross from the United Kingdom rose by 17% compared to last year, reaching 25,541. In May alone, there were 7,423 such attempts, making this the busiest illegal migration route into the EU. The most frequently apprehended were nationals of Eritrea, Afghanistan, and Somalia.
