Geneva, Switzerland. Nearly 8,000 people died or disappeared on migration routes last year, with sea routes to Europe the most deadly and many victims lost in what the IOM described as “invisible shipwrecks,” a U.N. agency said.
Annual toll and data gaps
The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) said 7,904 people were dead or missing, down from an all-time high of 9,197 in 2024. The agency said the lower figure was partly due to 1,500 suspected cases that went unverified because of aid cuts.
Sea routes to Europe and “invisible shipwrecks”
More than four in every ten fatalities and disappearances occurred on sea routes to Europe, the IOM said. The agency cited “invisible shipwrecks” as a significant factor, referring to cases in which entire boats are lost at sea and never found.
Regional routes and reported fatalities
The West African route northwards accounted for 1,200 deaths, the IOM said. Asia reported a record number of fatalities, including hundreds of Rohingya refugees fleeing violence in Myanmar or difficult conditions in crowded refugee camps in Bangladesh.
UN officials’ statements
“These figures bear witness to our collective failure to prevent these tragedies,” Maria Moita, director of the IOM’s humanitarian and response department, told a Geneva press briefing.
IOM Director General Amy Pope said in a statement that routes were shifting in response to conflict, climate pressures and policy changes, while risks remained high. “Behind these numbers are people taking dangerous journeys and families left waiting for news that may never come,” she said.
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