There are many routes for illegal immigration to Europe, and the movement of migrants through them constantly changes according to the political, security and economic conditions, as well as border control procedures and the ability of smuggling networks to change their routes.
According to the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex), the European Union's external borders recorded more than 49,000 illegal crossings during the first half of 2026.
Frontex has identified 6 main routes for illegal migration to Europe:
Central Mediterranean route
The Central Mediterranean route is one of the most active migration routes to the European Union.
In 2025, this route accounted for more than a third of reported illegal immigration detections, according to Frontex.
During the first half of this year, this route recorded more than 16,000 crossings, led by Sudanese, Somalis and Bangladeshis, according to Agence France-Presse.
Libya plays a major role in this path, especially with the continued departure of migrants from its coast towards Italy.
This path is extremely dangerous, as it witnessed 683 deaths or disappearances as of March 31, 2026, an increase of 65 percent over the same period in 2025, according to the official website of the Mixed Migration Center.
Eastern Mediterranean route
The eastern Mediterranean route includes movements towards Cyprus, the maritime borders of Greece, as well as the Greek and Bulgarian land borders with Türkiye, according to Frontex.
According to Agence France-Presse, migrants follow this route from Türkiye and eastern Libya.
The activity of this route has increased recently, with more than 20,000 crossings of all nationalities recorded, led by Afghans, Bangladeshis, and Sudanese.
The route from Libya to Crete remained the most active, accounting for more than half of the cases on this route.
Western Mediterranean route
The Western Mediterranean route extends from northwest Africa, especially Algeria and Morocco, to the coasts of Spain and the Balearic Islands, or to the Spanish cities of Ceuta and Melilla.
This route has recently witnessed a significant increase in crossing cases, and during the first half of this year, about 11,000 cases of illegal immigration were recorded via this route, according to Frontex.
However, during late July 2026, Ceuta witnessed one of the largest waves of mass crossings in its history. On July 30 and 31, tens of thousands of people flowed from Morocco towards the city, across the sea and land borders.
The Spanish authorities estimated the number of those who crossed to Ceuta, within a short period, at about 60 to 70 thousand people, while most of them returned to Morocco at a later time.
Crossing attempts also resulted in dozens of deaths.
Data from the Mixed Migration Center confirm the growing importance of the Western Mediterranean route, especially with the rise of the Balearic Islands as a relatively new destination for flights coming from Algeria.
The center said that this route witnessed 85 deaths or disappearances until March 2026.
West Africa route
The West Africa route connects the countries of Morocco, Mauritania, Gambia and Senegal with the Spanish Canary Islands, according to Frontex.
This route recorded more than 4,600 migration cases this year.
According to the Mixed Migration Center, this route recorded 129 deaths or disappearances in March of this year.
Eastern border path
The eastern border is a land border with a length of 6 thousand kilometers, separating Belarus, Moldova, Ukraine, and Russia on the one hand, and member states of the European Union, namely Estonia, Finland, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Slovakia, and Romania, on the other hand.
This route recorded more than 3,200 migration cases this year, according to the latest data published by Frontex.
Western Balkans route
This route passes through Western Balkan countries such as Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, and Montenegro, and is used to reach Western Europe, according to Frontex.
This route recorded about 4,910 cases of illegal immigration during the first half of this year.
The Croatian border with Bosnia and Herzegovina was the main exit point for migrants.
