The number of migrants and refugees reaching Europe by sea has fallen sharply this year, but deaths and disappearances along Mediterranean migration routes have increased, according to figures from the International Organization for Migration.
Nearly 60,000 migrants and refugees have reached Europe by sea so far in 2026, a 39 per cent decline compared with the same period last year. Despite the lower number of crossings, at least 2,292 people have died or gone missing, compared with 1,999 during the equivalent period in 2025.
The trend is particularly visible on the Central Mediterranean route, where arrivals in Italy dropped by 55 per cent while recorded deaths increased from 844 to 996. Deaths also rose on the Eastern Mediterranean route despite fewer arrivals.
IOM Director General Amy Pope said the figures indicate that people attempting the journey are facing increasingly dangerous conditions and called for stronger international cooperation, including expanded safe and regular migration pathways.