Among other findings, Frontex highlights the following trends:

• General decrease across all main migratory routes: All major migratory routes into the EU saw a decline in irregular entries. The sharpest drop was observed on the Western Balkans route (-58%), followed by the Eastern land border route (-37%), the Western African route (-34%) and the Eastern Mediterranean route (-30%).
   

• Central Mediterranean remains the most active route: With 15.718 detections, the Central Mediterranean route accounted for about one-third of all irregular entries. While the overall number was similar to early 2024, April saw a sharp year-on-year increase of nearly 40%, likely due to improved weather conditions.
   

• Bangladeshi nationals are most frequently detected on the Central Mediterranean route: Smuggling networks are reported to facilitate the journey from Bangladesh, arranging flights and visa applications. The estimated cost of the journey ranges from EUR 9.500 to EUR 13.000.
   

• Eastern Mediterranean is the second most active route: Over 12.200 irregular crossings were recorded in the first four months of 2025, marking a significant decrease compared to the same period last year.
   

• Western African route also saw a notable decrease: With 10.400 detections, the route recorded a drop of more than a third. Most of those detected were Malian, Senegalese, and Guinean nationals.
   

• Irregular Channel crossings increased: In contrast to the general downward trend, the number of attempted crossings via the Channel route rose by 5% in early 2025. Around 18.100 detections were recorded, making it a notable exception among the main migratory routes.

For further details, please read the press release from Frontex.