Italy records 53% drop in sea migrant arrivals in first half of 2026

Sea arrivals of migrants to Italy fell from 30,598 in the same period of 2025 to 14,464 in the first six months of 2026, a decline of 52.7%. The sharpest decrease came from Libya, where arrivals fell from 27,303 to 11,995, a 56% drop. Arrivals from Tunisia also fell, while those from Algeria more than doubled. Sicily remained the main landing region with 10,923 arrivals, down from 25,222 a year earlier, while Sardinia saw an increase to 1,428. Bangladesh nationals were the largest nationality group with 4,249 arrivals.

Save the Children estimates that about 2,000 unaccompanied minors arrived in Italy in 2025 together with their families, and 10,334 of the 14,829 minors in the system were placed in the second‑stage SAI reception. The organization warns that the current asylum and reception framework is poorly equipped to protect these families, especially as the European Migration Pact is being debated in parliament, raising concerns about potential detention and restriction of family rights.