Western Balkan route becomes Europe's second largest irregular migration path

Data from the Ministry of the Interior and Frontex reveal that the Western Balkan route, which involves entry through Turkey and often ends in Spain, is the second most used irregular migration route in the European Union. Between 2021 and 2025, 339,045 cases were detected on this route, trailing only the Central Mediterranean route, which saw 463,585 entries.

The Balkan route accounts for 25.6% of all irregular arrivals in Europe. In comparison, Spain serves as a gateway for 142,374 arrivals via the Atlantic Canary route and 86,487 via the Western Mediterranean route during the same period. Overall, Spain represents 17% of total EU entries, while the enclave of Ceuta accounts for 0.7%.

Authorities have noted a growing trend of ‘secondary movements,’ where migrants enter the EU through countries like Bulgaria or Greece and subsequently travel to Spain or France by utilizing the open borders of the Schengen Area. Additionally, Spain leads Europe in airport rejections of irregular migrants, with 10,791 recorded cases.