IOM: 8,000 migrants died in 2025 as dangerous routes multiply worldwide

Nearly 8,000 migrants were reported dead or missing worldwide in 2025, bringing the total since 2014 to more than 82,000, according to new data released by the International Organization for Migration (IOM). Around 340,000 family members are estimated to have been directly affected. IOM Director General Amy Pope said the figures reflect “people taking dangerous journeys and families left waiting for news that may never come,” stressing that data is critical to designing interventions that reduce risks and promote safer migration pathways.

The findings reveal a pattern that should alarm policymakers: lower arrival numbers in some regions do not mean migration pressure is easing — routes are simply shifting. In the Americas, northbound movements along the Central American route fell sharply compared to 2024. In Europe, overall arrivals declined but the profile changed, with Bangladeshi nationals becoming the largest arriving group as Syrian arrivals fell. Along the Western African Atlantic route, arrivals to the Canary Islands dropped significantly after strengthened border cooperation, but journeys became longer, riskier, and more geographically dispersed. In the Horn of Africa, movements toward Saudi Arabia remained above 2023 levels, while flows toward Southern Africa picked up late in the year.

Across all regions, thousands of migrants were stranded in border areas with limited access to shelter, healthcare, and protection. Returns and relocations increased, placing additional strain on local services and complicating reintegration. IOM’s data combines its Displacement Tracking Matrix — which monitors movements and route conditions through field monitoring and government sources — with the Missing Migrants Project, which documents deaths and disappearances using official records, media reports, and field information. Together, they paint a consistent picture: as journeys fragment and become more hazardous, the human cost keeps climbing.

Ahead of the International Migration Review Forum in May, IOM is calling for renewed international commitments to protect migrants, prevent deaths, and better support affected families. The organization’s message is direct — fewer movements do not automatically mean safer journeys, and closing one route simply opens a more dangerous one elsewhere. Saving lives, IOM argues, requires stronger cross-border cooperation and sustained investment in evidence-based responses, not just tighter enforcement.