Commissioner Magnus Brunner, in a written answer on 27 July 2026, acknowledged a 57% increase in illegal border crossings along the Western Mediterranean route in the first four months of 2026 compared to the same period in 2025, while noting that overall arrivals to Spain via the Western Mediterranean and Atlantic routes combined fell by 45%. The answer was given to a question by Christine Anderson (ESN), who had raised concerns about a reported surge in migrant arrivals on the Balearic Islands from Algeria.
between January and April 2026, 5,394 illegal crossings were detected on the Western Mediterranean route, with Algerians, Moroccans, Sudanese, Malians and Guineans as the main nationalities. He detailed Frontex's operational support for Spain, including maritime and aerial surveillance and deployments at key ports, with around 200 standing corps officers stationed mainly along Spain's Mediterranean coast. The EU also engages with Algeria through regional programmes Himaya and the Regional Development and Protection Programme for North Africa, focusing on migration governance and capacity-building.
On returns, Brunner stated that statistics are not disaggregated by migration route. Citing Eurostat data, he reported that Spain returned 6,105 third-country nationals in 2024, 5,705 in 2025, and 1,545 in 2026 (first months). At EU level, 3,590 Algerian nationals were returned to Algeria in 2024, 2,695 in 2025, and 575 in 2026. The answer did not announce new measures or targets, instead reaffirming existing operational and cooperative frameworks. Institutional follow-up is expected through routine monitoring by Frontex and continued EU-Algeria dialogue, with no immediate legislative or budgetary proposals signalled.