Officials said the majority of cases were linked to “mysterious boat sinkings,
GENEVA: Nearly 8,000 people lost their lives or went missing in 2025 during irregular migration journeys worldwide, with sea routes to Europe proving to be the deadliest, according to a new report released by the United Nations migration agency.
The report issued by the International Organization for Migration(IOM) stated that a total of 7,904 migrants were recorded as dead or missing during the year 2025.
Officials said the majority of cases were linked to “mysterious boat sinkings,” where vessels disappeared at sea and were never recovered.
The report noted that although the figure is lower than 2024, when 9,197 deaths and disappearances were recorded, the decline is partly due to around 1,500 cases that could not be fully verified because of reduced emergency funding.
According to the UN, more than 82,000 people have died or gone missing in migration journeys since 2014, leaving an estimated 340,000 family members directly affected.
UN official Maria Moita said the figures reflect a collective failure to prevent such tragedies, warning that ongoing gaps in rescue and monitoring systems are costing lives.
The report highlighted that four out of every ten deaths or disappearances occurred along sea routes heading toward Europe.
While arrivals in European countries have declined, people from Bangladeshi communities remain among those most frequently attempting the journey, while migration from Syrian refugees has decreased.
Significant fatalities were also recorded on the West Africa-to-North migration route, with around 1,200 deaths, alongside additional high casualty numbers reported across Asia.
Another UN official, Amy Pope, warned that many migrants continue to undertake extremely dangerous journeys while families are left waiting for information that may never arrive, as entire boats often disappear without trace at sea.
