Italy tops Spain in Mediterranean migrant arrivals, Frontex says

Frontex data for 2026 shows Italy receiving the highest number of irregular migrants arriving by sea in the Mediterranean, with about 16,000 people using the central route that lands mainly on Lampedusa. Spain’s western Mediterranean route accounts for roughly 11,000 arrivals, to which an additional 4,000 migrants come via the Atlantic route to the Canary Islands, putting its total close to Italy’s.

The influx continues despite the Italian government of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, which has made immigration a central election issue. The agency notes that these illegal maritime entries represent a small fraction of overall foreign arrivals, most of which come legally by air with visas that are rarely renewed.