EuroWire, WARSAW: Irregular border crossings into the European Union fell 60% in January 2026 from a year earlier, with about 5,500 detections recorded at the bloc’s external borders, according to preliminary data released by the EU border agency Frontex. Frontex attributed the decline to severe winter storms and rough seas on key routes, along with strong winds along land borders, which made journeys more dangerous and disrupted departures.
The Eastern Mediterranean was the busiest route in January, accounting for about one-third of the irregular entries detected by the agency. Frontex reported nearly 1,900 detections on that route, down 50% year on year. The Western Mediterranean and Central Mediterranean routes followed, each with around 1,200 detections. Frontex also reported a decline of about 10% on the Channel route, with nearly 2,300 detections of people attempting to cross into the UK.
Frontex said harsh winter conditions across the Mediterranean and along land frontiers affected movement and contributed to the drop in detected crossings, while departures continued in some areas despite the weather. The agency said it had more than 3,000 officers deployed along the EU’s external borders to support national authorities. Frontex noted the figures are preliminary and reflect detections recorded by border authorities, not a count of unique individuals.
Route patterns and nationalities
Frontex said the Western African route saw the steepest decline in January, with detections down 79% compared with January 2025. The agency also said the most frequently detected nationalities in January were Afghan, Algerian and Bangladeshi, while adding that the nationality of many arrivals was still being verified. Frontex’s monthly updates use its route classifications to track changes across maritime and land corridors and to compare activity year on year.
The drop in detected crossings came alongside a rising death toll at sea. Frontex said that, according to the International Organization for Migration, more than 450 people lost their lives in the Mediterranean in January alone, more than three times the number recorded in January 2025. The agency said the winter conditions that reduced crossings also heightened risks for people already at sea, complicating journeys during periods of rough weather and low temperatures.
Deaths rise despite fewer crossings
The January figures follow a broader decline reported for 2025. In mid-January, Frontex said detections of irregular border crossings at the EU’s external borders fell 26% in 2025 to almost 178,000, the lowest level since 2021. In that annual snapshot, Frontex said the Central Mediterranean remained the most active route into the EU, while detections on the Eastern Mediterranean fell overall, and the Western Mediterranean recorded an increase linked mainly to higher departures from Algeria.
Frontex said it supports EU member states and Schengen-associated countries through joint operations, aerial and maritime surveillance, technical assistance and information sharing aimed at improving situational awareness and readiness at the borders. The agency reiterated that its headline totals refer to detections of irregular crossings, and that the same person can be detected more than once in different locations. Frontex said it would continue to publish route-level updates as verified data are consolidated.