Thousands of people died or went missing along global migration routes last year, the UN migration agency has reported. At least 7,667 people went missing or died on migration routes worldwide last year, according to the UN's International Organization for Migration (IOM) . In North and South America, fewer people likely attempted dangerous migration routes in 2025, the IOM said. For the third consecutive year, the highest number of deaths on migration routes occurred in Asia and on routes between the Horn of Africa and Yemen and the Gulf states, where nearly 4,000 people died. "The continued loss of life on migration routes is a global failure we cannot accept as normal," said IOM Director General Amy Pope.

Source: The North Africa Journal February 27, 2026 05:42 UTC