UN / IOM MIGRANT DEATHS 2025

“At least 7,667 people died or went missing on migration routes worldwide in 2025,” a UN spokesperson said, citing new data from the International Organization for Migration (IOM). UNIFEED

• Video Length: 00:01:30
• Production Date: 26 February 2026
• Asset Language: English
• Corporate Name: INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION FOR MIGRATION - IOM
• Subject Topical: MIGRANTS; PERIODIC REPORTS; DEATH RATE
• MAMS Id: 3539494
• Parent Id: 3539494
• Alternate Title: unifeed260226g

Description

STORY: UN / IOM MIGRANT DEATHS 2025
TRT: 01:30
SOURCE: UNIFEED
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGES: ENGLISH / NATS

DATELINE: 26 FEBRUARY 2026, NEW YORK CITY / FILE

Shotlist

FILE – NEW YORK CITY

1. Wide shot, United Nations headquarters

26 FEBRUARY 2026, NEW YORK CITY

2. Wide shot, press briefing room
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General, United Nations:
“I want to flag a report by the International Organization for Migration that today shows that at least 7,667 people died or went missing on migration routes worldwide in 2025. According to IOM, sea crossings remained among the deadliest routes. In 2025, at least 2,185 people died or went missing in the Mediterranean, while 1,214 were recorded on the Western Africa/Atlantic route toward the Canary Islands. Despite year-on-year declines, IOM said that the real toll is likely much higher, as at least 1,500 additional people were reported missing at sea but could not be verified due to limited access to search-and-rescue information. IOM also tells us that the numbers from 2025 are lower than the nearly 9,200 deaths recorded in 2024, and said that the decline reflects fewer people attempting dangerous irregular migration routes, particularly in the Americas.
However, the Agency says that the decline is also due to restricted access to information and funding constraints for humanitarian actors documenting migrant deaths on key routes. IOM is calling for urgent funding to strengthen data collection to better guide the humanitarian system in delivering life-saving responses.”
4. Wide shot, end of press briefing

Storyline

“At least 7,667 people died or went missing on migration routes worldwide in 2025,” a UN spokesperson said, citing new data from the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

Briefing reporters in New York today (26 Feb), Spokesperson for the Secretary-General Stéphane Dujarric said the report shows that “sea crossings remained among the deadliest routes.” He noted that in 2025, at least 2,185 people died or went missing in the Mediterranean, while 1,214 were recorded on the Western Africa/Atlantic route toward the Canary Islands.

Despite year-on-year declines, IOM cautioned that “the real toll is likely much higher,” as at least 1,500 additional people were reported missing at sea but could not be verified due to limited access to search-and-rescue information.

Dujarric said the 2025 figures are lower than the nearly 9,200 deaths recorded in 2024, adding that the agency said “the decline reflects fewer people attempting dangerous irregular migration routes, particularly in the Americas.”

However, he stressed that “the decline is also due to restricted access to information and funding constraints for humanitarian actors documenting migrant deaths on key routes.”

IOM is calling for urgent funding to strengthen data collection to better guide the humanitarian system in delivering life-saving responses, Dujarric said.