Migrant flows to Greece down 34% in 2026, maritime affairs minister says

The sharpest decline is in migration flows from Turkey, down 59%, while arrivals from Libya showed a far smaller drop of about 4%. A significant drop in migrant flows towards Greece's sea borders has been recorded in the first half of 2026, according to figures presented by the Greek minister for maritime affairs, Vassilis Kikilias. As noted in a post on X, total arrivals from Turkey and Libya have fallen by 34% compared with the same period in 2025. Since the beginning of the year, 15,389 arrivals have been recorded, against 23,243 in the same period last year. The steepest decline was seen in migrant flows from Turkey, which are down 59%, while arrivals from Libya showed a smaller decrease of around 4%. The minister attributed these results to the planning of the government and the Ministry for shipping and island policy, as well as to the work of the coastguard, stressing that the strategy being implemented is delivering tangible results. At the same time, he congratulated the coastguard staff on their work, noting that beyond monitoring and protecting the maritime borders, they take part every day in search and rescue operations, helping to save lives at sea.