Nearly 8,000 migrants lost lives on journeys in 2025 reports IOM

UN Agency Reports on Migration Route Fatalities

The United Nations International Organization for Migration (IOM) has released new figures indicating that nearly 8,000 people died or went missing on migration routes last year. According to the IOM’s report, sea routes to Europe accounted for more than four in every 10 deaths and disappearances.

The report states that a total of 7,904 individuals were counted as deceased or missing in 2025, down from an all-time high of 9,197 in 2024. However, the decrease is attributed to 1,500 cases that remained unverified due to funding cuts.

Since 2014, more than 82,000 deaths have been reported on migration routes, with approximately 340,000 family members estimated to have been directly affected. The IOM notes that the profile of movements changed in Europe, with Bangladeshi nationals becoming the largest group arriving, while Syrian arrivals decreased following policy shifts.

The report highlights “invisible shipwrecks,” where entire boats are lost at sea and never found. Notable routes include the West African route northwards, which accounted for 1,200 deaths, and Asia, where hundreds of Rohingya refugees fled violence in Myanmar or crowded refugee camps in Bangladesh.

IOM Director General Amy Pope emphasized that migration routes “are shifting rather than easing, with risks remaining high along increasingly dangerous journeys.” The organization stressed the importance of data in understanding these routes and designing interventions to reduce risks and promote safer migration pathways.

Source: Al Jazeera