The number of migrants arriving in Europe by sea has fallen sharply, but the number of people dying or going missing continues to rise, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported.
Since the beginning of 2026, around 60,000 migrants and refugees have arrived in Europe by sea, 39 percent fewer than last year.
The UN says the main sea routes to Europe remain among the world’s deadliest migration routes.
According to the IOM, at least 2,300 people have died or gone missing, compared with 2,000 during the same period last year.
The number of arrivals fell most sharply on the central Mediterranean route to Italy, by 55 percent to 21,400. At the same time, the number of deaths on the route increased from 844 to 996.
A total of 20,400 people arrived in Greece, while the number of deaths on the eastern Mediterranean route rose from 284 to 417. Spain, meanwhile, received 16,800 migrants arriving via the Atlantic and western Mediterranean routes. A total of 879 people died or went missing on those routes.
Experts believe the actual death toll is likely to be significantly higher, as many shipwrecks and disappearances go unreported.
Meanwhile, from January to mid-September, more than 17,000 migrants were intercepted at sea and returned to Libya.
The IOM is calling for stronger international cooperation, efforts to combat human trafficking and exploitation, and expanded safe and legal migration pathways.
