IOM announced that approximately 8 thousand people had died or gone missing along migration routes worldwide in 2025. As of 15 September, at least 2 thousand 292 people had died or gone missing this year; the figure was 1,999 during the same period last year. It was stated that deaths continued despite a 39% decline in the number of people arriving in Europe by sea. IOM called on countries to cooperate on saving lives, combating human trafficking and smuggling, and expanding safe migration routes. Ahead of the 81st UN General Assembly, to be held on 22-28 September, Director General Amy Pope said smugglers were exploiting gaps between countries. The statement said that solutions that work for everyone were being sought.
Why it matters
The data show that the decline in the number of people reaching Europe has not made migration routes safer and that the risk persists regardless of the volume of movement. Therefore, the focus of the debate should not only be on reducing irregular crossings, but also on how search-and-rescue capacity, the fight against human trafficking, and legal migration options will be implemented across countries. The fact that smugglers exploit gaps in borders and jurisdiction indicates that measures taken by individual countries may remain limited. However, council notes state that there is an issue with the timing of the publication of the report and the 2025 data presented; this requires clarity regarding how current the figures are and which period the comparison is based on. Although the call ahead of the UN General Assembly is important in terms of bringing these issues onto the political agenda, concrete implementation steps remain unspecified.