Perilous Journeys: The High Cost of Shrinking Legal Pathways for Migrants

Nearly 8,000 people died or went missing on hazardous migration routes in 2025, though the true toll is likely higher due to funding cuts affecting tracking efforts. The reduction in legal migration channels pushes more individuals towards smugglers. Calls are increasing to create safe and regulated migration routes.

In a troubling report, nearly 8,000 individuals lost their lives or disappeared on dangerous migration routes in 2025, such as those across the Mediterranean and the Horn of Africa. However, the actual numbers could be higher as financial cutbacks hinder efforts to monitor these deaths, according to a U.N. agency.

The International Organization for Migration highlights the shrinking legal pathways for migration, an issue exacerbated by increased enforcement from Europe and the U.S. This coercive environment forces many into perilous conditions at the mercy of smugglers, a situation IOM Director General Amy Pope describes as a global failure.

In spite of a drop in recorded fatalities to 7,667 from nearly 9,200 in 2024, the organization stresses that fewer recorded deaths reflect reduced data access due to funding shortages. Sea routes still account for the deadliest journeys, with the Mediterranean and Atlantic routes recording high casualties, even as the IOM faces reduced U.S. financial support.

(With inputs from agencies.)