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7,900 Died, Disappeared on Migration Routes in 2025: UN
Sea routes to Europe accounted for more than 40% of fatalities, and the agency said aid cuts left 1,500 suspected cases unverified.
On Tuesday, April 21, the International Organization for Migration reported 7,904 migrant deaths and disappearances in 2025, describing the figures as a continuation of a global failure to prevent these losses.
Documented deaths and disappearances since 2014 have now surpassed 80,000, with the IOM citing unprecedented aid cuts and restricted information that rendered many migrants invisible during 2025.
Families of missing migrants include an estimated 340,000 people directly affected by the "ongoing crisis of missing migrants," facing psychological, social, legal, and economic impacts from unresolved disappearances.
Urging countries to find the political will to create safe pathways, the IOM warned that people are increasingly forced into dangerous, irregular journeys when legal alternatives are unavailable.
May 2026's International Migration Review Forum presents a critical opportunity to change global dynamics and improve safety on migration routes, the IOM noted as a pathway forward.