At least 7,667 people died or went missing along migration routes worldwide last year, the United Nations’ International Organization for Migration (IOM) said on Thursday, warning that the true figure is likely far higher due to underreporting and shrinking resources for aid organisations.
The documented cases reflect only confirmed incidents, the IOM said, noting that many deaths can no longer be traced after a sharp decline in funding for search, rescue, and monitoring operations.
The agency stressed that hundreds of additional migrants are believed to have disappeared without any official record.
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In 2024, the IOM recorded approximately 9,200 migrant deaths globally — the highest number since the agency began systematically tracking fatalities in 2014.
So far this year, the situation appears to be worsening in key regions.
As of Feb. 24, at least 606 deaths have been registered in the Mediterranean Sea, more than double the 285 recorded during the same period in 2025, according to IOM data.
The agency said the figures exclude many migrants reported missing by families and humanitarian groups, underscoring what it described as a persistent and deadly protection gap.
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The IOM urged governments and donors to provide greater financial support for rescue organisations and called for stronger international action against smuggling networks that prey on vulnerable migrants.
“The continued loss of life on migration routes is a global failure we cannot accept as normal,” said IOM Director General Amy Pope.
“We must act now to expand safe and regular routes, and ensure people in need can be reached and protected, regardless of their status.”
Last year, nearly 2,200 people died or went missing while attempting to cross the Mediterranean, while around 1,200 perished on the Atlantic route between West Africa and the Canary Islands. Both totals were lower than those recorded in 2024, the agency said.
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However, risks along lesser-monitored routes remain acute.
Three boats were recently found along the coasts of Brazil and islands in the Caribbean, with migrants believed to have died while attempting the long and dangerous crossing from West Africa toward the Canary Islands.
For the third consecutive year, the highest number of migrant deaths — nearly 4,000 — occurred on routes in Asia and between the Horn of Africa and the Arabian Peninsula.
The IOM attributed much of this trend to an increase in people fleeing Afghanistan, as prolonged instability continues to drive displacement across the region.
The agency warned that without urgent investment in safe migration pathways, humanitarian response, and coordinated international enforcement, preventable deaths along migration routes will continue to rise.
