# Nearly eight-thousand people died or disappeared on migration routes last year, with sea routes to Europe the deadliest and many victims lost in invisible shipwrecks. The International Organization for Migration says more than four in every 10 fatalities and disappearances came on sea routes to Europe. The West African route northwards accounted for one-thousand-200 deaths, while Asia reported a record number of fatalities, including hundreds of Rohingya refugees fleeing violence in Myanmar. IOM Director General Amy Pope says routes are shifting in response to conflict, climate pressures and policy changes, but the risks are still very real.
Nearly 8,000 people died or disappeared trying to migrate in 2025