Migrant deaths climb sharply in 2026, new UN data shows

A team completed a rescue mission, saving 98 people from a dangerous journey in the central Mediterranean region in 2020. (file) © SOS Méditerranée-Anthony Jean

12 August 2026 - Severe weather, war, economic pressure and shifting policies reshaped migration journeys across multiple regions in the first four months of 2026, driving a surge in deaths, according to new data released on Wednesday by the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

The agency’s newest route-based data shows a startling spike in fatalities among people seeking a better life, from the Bay of Bengal to the Atlantic Ocean, many of them falling prey to traffickers or scams along the way. 

“Attention tends to settle on a handful of routes, but nearly half of the world’s 304 million international migrants live within their own region, moving for work, family, education and safety,” IOM Deputy Director General Ugochi Daniels explained, pointing to the new Global Overview of Migration Routes report, which draws from its displacement tracking matrix, Missing Migrants project and regional partners.

“Good data is not a substitute for solutions, but there are no solutions without it,” Ms. Daniels said, stressing that saving lives remains a shared responsibility no single country can meet alone. “When everyone is working from the same clear picture, better decisions follow.”

Sharp dips and spikes in arrivals

While some routes saw steep declines in arrivals, deaths soared in others.

“Fewer arrivals do not mean safer journeys,” Ms. Daniels said.

Along the central Mediterranean route, 821 people died or went missing, marking a 111 per cent increase, while arrivals dropped 46 per cent to 8,577. Over half those deaths occurred in January alone, when Cyclone Harry struck the region.

Meanwhile, the eastern Mediterranean route saw deaths triple to 244, many linked to disasters near Crete.

More highlights from the report:

• Western Mediterranean arrivals to Spain rose 66 per cent to 5,647, driven by a three-fold increase in land crossings to Ceuta and Melilla

• The western African Atlantic route showed the steepest decline of any in Europe, down 78 per cent to 2,276 in Spain as departure points shifted further south, lengthening and endangering crossings

• Yemen saw a nine per cent rise in arrivals via the Horn of Africa eastern route

• Conflict in the Middle East triggered large-scale displacement in Lebanon and rising cross-border returns to Syria

Calls for urgent action over Rohingya

UN independent experts called for urgent action to support nearly 1.2 million Rohingya refugees living in Bangladesh following reports that two boats carrying over 500 people capsized off Myanmar’s coast after departing Rakhine state in late June.

Often falling prey to human traffickers, more than 6,500 Rohingya embarked on dangerous sea journeys in 2025, with an estimated 900 deaths – about 66 per cent were women and children, according to UN agencies.

One in seven went missing or died in the Andaman Sea and Bay of Bengal, “the highest mortality rate worldwide of any route for refugee and migrant sea journeys”, said the experts, who are appointed by the UN Human Rights Council.

Recognising the shared responsibility of the international community, they called for effective measures to prevent human trafficking and ensure human rights-based responses, from protection services to providing access to employment, education and healthcare. – UN News