World: Routes Monitor Key Updates - May 2026

Countries: World, Afghanistan, Algeria, Ethiopia, Libya, Morocco, Myanmar, Spain, Sudan Source: UN High Commissioner for Refugees Please refer to the attached file. What’s new? • Monthly update: All routes have been updated with the latest available data for March 2026. • Disembarkation in Libya: Libya country page was updated retroactively with disembarkation data for the past months. Data analysis highlights 1. Monthly comparison: most Mediterranean routes show marked declines in recorded sea departures in the first quarter of 2026 compared to the last quarter of 2025 (e.g., CMR decreased from 20,331 to 8,502, a reduction of 58 per cent, and EMR from 17,763 to 6,266, a reduction of 65 per cent), while the South and South-East Asia Route increased from 1,773 to 4,578 (an increase of 158 per cent), remaining comparatively lower in absolute terms. 2. Year-on-year comparison – differentiated trends across routes: while movements in the first quarter of 2026 remain below those recorded in the first quarter of 2025 across most routes, trends vary significantly across corridors. For example, departures on the Western Mediterranean Route increased from 3,703 in the first quarter of 2025 to 5,580 in the first quarter of 2026 (an increase of 51 per cent), whereas the West African Atlantic Route decreased from 9,491 to 1,640 over the same period (a reduction of 83 per cent). Other routes, including the Central Mediterranean Route and the Eastern Mediterranean Route, also recorded substantial declines compared to the first quarter of 2025, indicating varied patterns in recorded movements across routes. 3. Composition of movements – shifts in nationality profiles across routes: the composition of recorded movements in the first quarter of 2026 reflects uneven changes across nationality groups. While overall movements declined across most Mediterranean and Africa-Europe mixed movement routes, several high‐volume nationalities decreased disproportionately, notably Ethiopian (–45 per cent) and Afghan nationals (–53 per cent), driving much of the overall reduction. At the same time, other nationalities increased both in volume and relative weight. Movements involving Myanmar (+186 per cent) and Sudanese nationals (+56 per cent) grew over the same period, increasing their share of total movements. At route level, changes in composition are also observed, although patterns vary. On routes to Spain, Algerian nationals remain the dominant group on the Western Mediterranean Route, while increases in Moroccan nationals are more evident on the West African Atlantic Route.
2026-05-19 12:03:11