The death toll of people who took dangerous migration routes last year reached about 8,000 people, according to what the International Organization for Migration announced Thursday, while sea routes remain among the deadliest journeys for migrants. The real number may be much higher in light of the decrease in funding for the organization, which has affected the arrival of humanitarian aid and the tracking of deaths. In a statement, Amy Pope, Director-General of the aforementioned United Nations organization, said, “The continued loss of lives on migration routes is a global failure that we cannot accept as normal.”
Published on: 02/26/2026 - 16:51 Last updated: 02/26/2026 - 17:00
About 8,000 people died or went missing last year on dangerous migration routes such as the Mediterranean and the Horn of Africa, according to the United Nations International Organization for Migration.
The organization said that legal routes for immigration are declining, pushing more people to resort to smugglers, at a time when Europe, the United States and other regions are strengthening law enforcement and investing heavily in means of deterrence.
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In a statement published today, Thursday, Amy Pope, Director-General of the International Organization for Migration, said, “The continued loss of life on migration routes is a global failure that we cannot accept as normal.”
“These deaths are not inevitable,” she added. “When safe routes are out of reach, people are forced to undertake dangerous journeys and fall into the hands of smugglers and human traffickers. We must act now to expand safe and familiar routes, and ensure the protection of people in need, regardless of their situation.”
The International Organization for Migration indicated that although the number of deaths along migration routes decreased to 7,667 in 2025 from about 9,200 in 2024, after a decline in the number of those who attempted dangerous illegal journeys, especially through the Americas, this decrease reveals diminished access to information and a lack of funding that has hampered efforts to track deaths.
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The Geneva-based organization is among several relief organizations affected by significant US funding cuts, forcing it to reduce or close its programs in ways it says will severely impact migrants.
According to the organization, sea routes remained among the deadliest journeys, as at least 2,108 people died or went missing in the Mediterranean last year, and 1,047 people crossed the Atlantic route leading to the Spanish Canary Islands.
France 24/Reuters
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