Overview
- At least 606 people died on the Mediterranean between January 1 and February 24, 2026, which the IOM calls an unprecedented early-year toll.
- The agency recorded 7,667 deaths or disappearances on global migration routes in 2025 but says cuts to funding and access likely mean a higher true count.
- Sea crossings remained the deadliest in 2025, with at least 2,108 deaths or missing in the Mediterranean and 1,047 on the Atlantic route to Spain’s Canary Islands.
- Regional patterns included large losses in Asia and on Horn of Africa–to–Gulf routes, with many Afghan and Ethiopian victims and several mass shipwrecks reported.
- IOM urges expanded safe and regular pathways, stronger search-and-rescue and action against smuggling networks as the EU advances deterrence and faster removals.