Geneva, Feb 26 (V7N) – The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has reported that nearly 8,000 people died or went missing on dangerous migration routes, including the Mediterranean and the Horn of Africa, over the past year. However, the organization warns that the actual death toll could be significantly higher due to gaps in tracking systems caused by insufficient funding.

IOM Director-General Amy Pope described the situation as a global failure, emphasizing that the lack of safe migration routes forces people to risk their lives with smugglers, a scenario that “cannot be accepted as normal.”

The report shows that while the total number of deaths decreased from 9,200 in 2024 to 7,667 in 2025, this decline does not indicate an improvement in the overall situation. Many humanitarian programs have been shut down due to major funding cuts from countries including the United States, making it harder to track missing or dead migrants.

Key Findings from the IOM Report:

  • Mediterranean Sea: At least 2,108 deaths in 2025; 606 migrants have already died in 2026 as of February 24.

  • Atlantic route to Spain’s Canary Islands: 1,047 deaths recorded in 2025.

  • Asia: Around 3,000 migrant deaths, more than half Afghan citizens.

  • Yemen to Gulf countries: 922 deaths, mostly Ethiopian citizens.

Despite global investments by Europe, the US, and other regions in preventing illegal migration, migrants continue dying due to the absence of safe and legal routes.

The IOM report serves as a warning to world leaders: the death toll on migration routes will not decrease unless adequate humanitarian funding, robust information collection systems, and safe migration channels are established. Ensuring the safety of all migrants, regardless of their status, is an urgent global priority.

END/SMA/AJ