78% drop in migrant arrivals by boat in the Canary Islands so far in 2026
Irregular migrant arrivals to the Canary Islands have fallen dramatically this year, according to the latest statistics from Frontex, who have reported a 78% drop in arrivals by boat during the first four months of 2026.
The European border agency said the route linking West Africa to the Canary Islands saw the steepest decline of all major migration corridors into the European Union.
Between January and April, there were 2,331 cases of undocumented migration detected on the West African route, which mainly connects countries including Gambia, Senegal and Guinea with the Canaries. Frontex has attributed this sharp fall to increased preventative measures introduced by those countries in cooperation with Spain and the EU.
However, despite the overall downward trend, the Canary Islands Government has warned of a possible recent increase in arrivals.
Speaking after the regional government council meeting on Wednesday (13th May), government spokesperson Alfonso Cabello said there had been “a significant turning point” in migrant arrivals so far in May.
“Throughout the year, the numbers had been falling significantly compared with the previous year,” he explained. “But the reality is that in May there has been a fairly dramatic shift in the last ten days.”
Cabello added that authorities are now monitoring whether the increase is simply temporary or the beginning of a new trend for the summer months.
Elsewhere, the Western Mediterranean route, which includes crossings via the Strait of Gibraltar, was the only major migration route into Europe to record an increase, with around 5,200 detections, up 50% on last year.
According to Frontex, the Central Mediterranean route between Libya and Italy remains the busiest migration corridor into Europe, despite a 46% fall in arrivals, with around 8,500 crossings recorded.
Meanwhile, the Eastern Mediterranean route, covering Greece, Cyprus and Bulgaria, registered approximately 8,400 crossings, down 32%.
The report also noted that more than 1,200 people have died attempting to cross the Mediterranean so far in 2026.
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