The Central Mediterranean route accounted for the most detected irregular entries in 2025 (66,328, a year-on-year decrease of 1%), followed by the Eastern Mediterranean with 51,399 detections, down 27%.
Irregular arrivals to the EU fall to lowest levels since 2021
Thursday, 15 January 2026RSS
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Context & Explainers
The border-control system is the set of checks and databases used to process non-EU travellers at entry points — passport and visa checks, biometric data capture and automated database searches such as the Schengen Information System (SIS) and the Entry/Exit System (EES). A temporary suspension of automated checks at Lisbon Airport means those arrivals may be processed differently (more manual checks or national procedures), which can change wait times, administrative workload and how security checks are carried out for non‑EU citizens.
