The European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex) has reported that Libya has emerged as the principal departure point for illegal migrants crossing the Central Mediterranean, accounting for more than 90% of the total number of migrants arriving in the European Union via this route.
The agency stated that over 63,200 migrants were detected crossing the Central Mediterranean between January and November 2025. It noted that this figure is nearly identical to that recorded during the same period last year.
In a related context, Frontex registered a significant 30% drop in illegal crossings in the Eastern Mediterranean, with migrant numbers on this route reaching approximately 46,200 individuals. Conversely, activity on the Libya-Crete corridor continued to surge, witnessing a 260% increase in detections during the first 11 months of 2025. Overall, preliminary data indicated a decline in total illegal entries into the European Union across all routes, falling by 25% during the same period to register more than 166,900 entries.