Migrant arrivals to Europe via the Mediterranean fell by 37% in the first half of 2026 compared to the previous year, according to data from the EU border agency Frontex.
Sea arrivals to Spain saw the steepest drop, plummeting 67% to just over 10,000 people. Italy recorded a 55% decrease, with around 14,000 migrants landing, while Greece experienced a 29% decline to 16,600 arrivals.
Overland migration through the Western Balkans also eased, falling 24% to fewer than 4,000 border crossings.
Despite the overall reduction, the Mediterranean remains deadly. The International Organization for Migration reported that 1,300 people have lost their lives attempting the crossing since January.
The statistics were overshadowed by an emergency videoconference of EU interior ministers, urgently called by Rome after a surge of migrants into the Spanish exclave of Ceuta in late July.
Tens of thousands of people entered Ceuta by swimming or wading around a border breakwater from Morocco, prompting Spain to deploy troops to restore order.
Spanish authorities said at least 72 individuals perished trying to reach the enclave, though Morocco cited a lower toll of 11.
In a dramatic escalation, Italy announced the suspension of the Schengen Agreement with Spain, triggering a diplomatic rift and mutual accusations over a lack of migration solidarity.
The crisis underscores deep divisions within the EU over how to manage irregular migration, even as overall numbers decline.
