Western Balkans saw 118k irregular migrants in 2025; sea routes near Crete are increasingly dangerous.
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In 2025, border authorities registered 118,863 irregular migrants attempting to enter the European Union via routes reaching Hungary and Croatia. The number of irregular migrants increased by 15% in the Western Mediterranean region, with most arriving from Bangladesh, Egypt, and Afghanistan; the sea route between Libya and Crete saw a 260% increase in arrivals. In the first five months of 2025, the number of boats carrying refugees arrived as much as in all of 2024, many of whom were young or children. Experts suggest the route has changed because approaching Italian shores is riskier and increases the chance of deportation. On one day in December, six hundred asylum seekers arrived at Crete within a 24-hour period. International organizations warn that although the number of border crossers is decreasing, migration routes are becoming more dangerous with more fatalities. Save the Children recorded 278 child victims on European refugee routes last year, with every second child dying from suffocation. A boat carrying 45 people sank near Lesbos island on December 9th while heading towards Greek shores; Turkish coast guard rescued 37 passengers and recovered one body, listing seven as missing. Despite high numbers of refugee deaths in Greece, the recent death of a seven-year-old Sudanese girl near Syros Island deeply affected the entire country.
