Route by route
Detections of irregular crossing at the EU's external borders. Highlighted rows are the routes that reach Spain.
| Route | 2025 | Share | 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mediterráneo Central Italia y Malta | 66,551 | 37.0% | 19,634 |
| Mediterráneo Oriental Grecia, Chipre y Bulgaria | 52,502 | 29.2% | 27,031 |
| Mediterráneo Occidental España: Península, Baleares, Ceuta y Melilla | 18,979 | 10.5% | 15,193 |
| Atlántica España: Canarias | 17,860 | 9.9% | 5,167 |
| Balcanes Occidentales entrada por tierra desde los Balcanes | 12,526 | 7.0% | 5,486 |
| Fronteras Orientales Finlandia, Polonia y países bálticos | 11,044 | 6.1% | 3,882 |
| Circular Albania-Grecia Grecia | 455 | 0.3% | 369 |
| Mar Negro Rumanía y Bulgaria | 2 | 0.0% | 16 |
| Otras zonas no incluidas en las rutas anteriores | 2 | 0.0% | 0 |
Source: Frontex. 2026 is in progress: only to August 2026.
What this table says, and what it does not
Spain is not the main gateway for irregular entry into the European Union. In 2025 it was the Central Mediterranean route into Italy and Malta, followed by the Eastern Mediterranean into Greece, Cyprus and Bulgaria. The two Spanish routes together came to 20.5% of the total.
Each route is measured where the external border is crossed, not where people end up. Someone detected in Greece may settle in Germany and is not counted again.
Frequently asked questions
Is Spain the country receiving the most irregular migrants in Europe?
No. In 2025 the two Spanish routes recorded 36,839 detections, 20.5% of the EU total of 179,921. The Central Mediterranean (Italy) and Eastern Mediterranean (Greece) routes were larger.