Migrant smuggling fees on sea routes to Europe reached up to US$509 million in 2025

Total fees paid to smugglers on sea routes to Europe reached an estimated US$388-509 million in 2025, according to new research released on 21 October 2026 by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). The findings were issued by UNODC’s Observatory on Smuggling of Migrants, which provided updates on migrant smuggling along the four main sea routes to Europe, according to a press release. The updates cover the Central Mediterranean, Eastern Mediterranean, Western Mediterranean, and the Northwest African Atlantic routes. The research sheds light on the scale and economics of smuggling networks operating across these corridors. It offers one of the most detailed accountings yet of the financial dimensions of maritime smuggling to Europe.

UNODC estimates that around 190,000-209,000 people were the object of smuggling offences along these routes in 2025. The largest number of offences was committed on the Central Mediterranean route, affecting 84,000-100,400 people. The Eastern Mediterranean route followed, with 48,400-51,300 people. The Northwest African Atlantic route accounted for 33,000, while the Western Mediterranean route recorded 24,500. Together, these figures illustrate the geographic distribution of smuggling activity across the Mediterranean basin.

Not all those attempting irregular entry on sea routes are smuggled. UNODC estimates that 72-86 per cent of people departing on the Central Mediterranean route in 2025 were smuggled, compared with 73-83 per cent on the Northwest African Atlantic route and 57-90 per cent on the Western Mediterranean route. On the Eastern Mediterranean route, an estimated 75 per cent of those departing from Türkiye to Greece and Italy were smuggled. The share rose to 77-90 per cent on the route from Libya to the Greek islands of Crete and Gavdos. These proportions underscore the significant role of smuggling networks across all four corridors.

Among all those departing on the sea routes in 2025, 104,200 people were intercepted at sea and returned, while 3,404 lost their lives or were reported missing. The average smuggling fee received by smugglers varied widely depending on the route, the migrant’s nationality, the country of departure, and the conditions of travel. Smugglers may receive as little as $170 per person for smuggling across the Northwest African Atlantic route. On the Central Mediterranean route from Türkiye to Italy, the fee may reach up to $7,500 per person. Such disparities reflect the diverse operational conditions along each corridor.

The Central Mediterranean route covers sea crossings from Libya, Tunisia, Türkiye, and Algeria to Italy and Malta. The Northwest African Atlantic route describes crossings from Morocco, Mauritania, Senegal, The Gambia, and Guinea to the Canary Islands, Spain. The Western Mediterranean route refers to sea crossings from Morocco and Algeria to mainland Spain and the Balearic Islands. The Eastern Mediterranean route describes crossings from Türkiye and Libya – and, to a lesser extent, Lebanon and Syria – to Greece and Cyprus. UNODC’s findings provide a comprehensive snapshot of the migrant smuggling markets operating along Europe’s maritime borders in 2025.