International Organization for Migration: Nearly 8,000 Deaths on Dangerous Migration Routes in 2025 and a 'Global Failure' to Protect Lives

The International Organization for Migration announced on Thursday that nearly 8,000 people lost their lives last year while taking dangerous migration routes, confirming that maritime routes remain among the deadliest for migrants.

The organization clarified that the actual number of victims could be much higher, given the decrease in funding allocated to it, which has affected its ability to deliver humanitarian aid and accurately track deaths in various regions around the world.

In an official statement, the organization's Director General, Amy Pope, stated that "the continued loss of lives on migration routes is a global failure that we cannot accept as normal," calling for broader international action to address the root causes of irregular migration and to enhance safe and organized migration pathways.

Reports from the organization indicate that conflicts, poverty, climate change, and political instability drive thousands of people each year to risk their lives through extremely dangerous desert and maritime routes, amid smuggling networks that exploit their humanitarian situations.