On 12 December, the European Border and Coast Guard Agency Frontex reported that in the first eleven months of 2025 there were just over 169,000 irregular entries into the European Union, a drop of 25% compared to 2024. Figures on the Western Mediterranean route increased significantly (+15%) but from a relatively low level, reaching 17,964 border crossings. While there were sharp declines on the West African (-60% / 16,829 px), Western Balkans (-43% / 11,862 px), Eastern Land Border (-37% / 10456 px), and Eastern Mediterranean route (-29% / 46,158 px), the figure for the Central Mediterranean route remained almost the same (-1% / 63,231 px).
Libya remained the leading point of departure, accounting for over 90% of arrivals along the Central Mediterranean route, while Tunisia and Algeria contributed only minor shares. Top nationalities on this route were Bangladesh, Egypt, and Eritrea. Remarkably, while overall figures for the Eastern Mediterranean dropped, the Libya-Crete corridor remained a very active corridor, with arrivals surging by 260% in the first eleven months of 2025. Up to 17,000 irregular migrants have arrived in Crete from Libya so far this year.
On 12 December, a group of 122 refugees, more than half of them minors, arrived in Rome from Libya on a UNHCR-organized flight under Italy’s humanitarian corridor program, which provides safe and legal entry for vulnerable people. Welcomed by civil society volunteers, airport staff, and officials, the reception was attended by senior Italian and international representatives, who highlighted Italy’s ‘welcoming diplomacy’ and urged the newcomers to integrate by learning the language and respecting local laws. The initiative, now a central pillar of Italy’s migration policy, aims to reduce risks linked to irregular migration and human trafficking, with a strong focus on minors and families.
On 15 December, IOM reported that in 2025 until 13 December, 26,328 migrants were intercepted and returned to Libya. At least 1,190 deaths/missing while attempting to cross the Mediterranean Sea were recorded by IOM so far this year.