Key facts
- Migrant and refugee arrivals to Europe by sea have fallen by 39% so far in 2026.
- Approximately 60,000 migrants and refugees arrived in Europe by sea in 2026.
- This figure is down from 98,000 arrivals during the same period last year.
- At least 2,292 people have died or gone missing attempting the crossing in 2026.
- This is an increase from 1,999 deaths or disappearances in the same period last year.
- The Central Mediterranean route saw a 55% drop in arrivals but an increase in deaths.
Migrant and refugee arrivals to Europe by sea have fallen by 39% so far in 2026, with approximately 60,000 making the crossing compared to 98,000 last year, according to new data from the International Organization for Migration (IOM). Despite the decrease in arrivals, the journeys have become more dangerous, with at least 2,292 people dying or going missing, an increase from 1,999 in the same period last year.
The Central Mediterranean route, a primary route for migrants heading to Italy, saw a 55% drop in arrivals, from 48,231 to 21,393. However, deaths on this route rose from 844 to 996. Greece recorded 20,428 arrivals, down from 25,427, with deaths on the Eastern Mediterranean route increasing from 284 to 417. Spain received 16,794 arrivals across the Atlantic and Western Mediterranean routes, a decrease from 22,855, while fatalities remained high at 879.
Between January and mid-September 2026, 17,067 migrants were intercepted at sea and returned to Libya, according to figures tracked by IOM. The IOM highlighted that fewer arrivals do not equate to safer journeys and called for expanded safe, regular pathways for migration, alongside efforts to combat trafficking and exploitation.