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New Delhi: According to a report released on Tuesday by the UN’s International Organization for Migration (IOM), nearly 8,000 migrants died or went missing along major migration routes worldwide in 2025. As migration pathways become increasingly risky and restricted, the findings highlight the growing dangers faced by people fleeing conflict, poverty and climate stress.

The report, compiled under IOM’s ‘Missing Migrants Project’, documented at least 7,900 deaths and disappearances last year, with officials warning that the real number, due to underreporting, is likely even higher.

The Mediterranean Sea, as the report attested, accounted for the highest number of migrant deaths. Thousands attempting to reach Europe from North Africa were reported dead or missing after boats capsized or went missing. Despite rescue efforts, factors such as overcrowded vessels and unsafe conditions of large-scale human smuggling networks continue to drive fatalities in the region.

Other dangerous routes included crossings in the Sahara Desert, where extreme heat and lack of water proved fatal. Journeys through Central America and the US-Mexico border were also reported to be fatal and cause for a lot of disappearances and deaths. The report also noted rising deaths in parts of Asia, including routes used by Rohingya refugees.

The International Organization for Migration urged governments to expand safe and legal migration options to prevent such tragedies in the future. It stressed that stricter border controls alone are pushing migrants toward more dangerous routes controlled by traffickers. “The numbers are a stark reminder that people risk everything when they have no safe alternatives,” the report said, calling for coordinated international action. 

Humanitarian agencies also appealed for better data collection and more resources for search and rescue operations, with the report coming amid ongoing global migration pressures. As increasingly devastating global conflicts, economic instability, and climate-related disasters continue to force millions to leave their homes, without meaningful large-scale global policies, it would be difficult to mitigate the problem.