# Migrants Pay $500m Smuggling Fees

> Migrants paid up to $500 million in smuggling fees on European sea routes last year, UN reports.
- Title: Migrants Pay $500m Smuggling Fees · Allafrica | Shortify
- Summary: Migrants paid up to $500 million in smuggling fees on European sea routes last year, UN reports. Migrants paid $388-509 million in smuggling fees to reach…
- Keywords: migrants, smuggling, unodc, iom, central mediterranean, europe, news, world, politics, Pay, 500m, Fees
- Source: Allafrica — https://allafrica.com/stories/202610220012.html
- Published: 2026-10-22T04:49:48+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: migrants, smuggling, unodc, iom, central mediterranean, europe, news, world, politics
## Smuggling Fees Total
Migrants paid $388 to $509 million in smuggling fees to reach Europe via sea routes in 2025.
## Busiest Route
Central Mediterranean route saw 84,000 to 100,400 people attempt crossings in 2025.
## High Fees in Italy
Almost half of migrants to Italy or Malta paid over $7,500 each for smuggling services.
## Other Routes
Smugglers charged as little as $170 per person on the Northwest African Atlantic route.
## Deaths and Returns
3,404 migrants died or went missing, and 104,200 were returned to sea routes in 2025.
## Smuggling Rates
72-86% of Central Mediterranean migrants were smuggled, with 73-83% on Northwest African Atlantic routes.
## Key takeaway

Migrants paid $388-509 million in smuggling fees to reach Europe via sea routes in 2025.