Migrant arrivals to Europe fall 39%, while deaths rise: UN migration agency

Migrant and refugee arrivals to Europe by sea have fallen sharply in 2026, but the number of people dying or missing during the journeys has risen, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said Thursday.

Nearly 60,000 people arrived by sea this year, as of Sept. 15, down 39% from last year's 98,040, according to data from the IOM's Displacement Tracking Matrix and Missing Migrants Project.

At least 2,292, however, have died or gone missing while attempting the crossings, compared with 1,999 during the same period in 2025.

The IOM cautioned that the actual toll is likely higher because many shipwrecks and disappearances are never recorded.

The sharpest decline in arrivals was seen on the Central Mediterranean route to Italy, falling 55% from 48,231 to 21,393. Deaths on the route climbed from 844 to 996.

"Fewer people are arriving by sea in Europe than at this point last year. But people are still dying and going missing in alarming numbers trying to reach safety," IOM Director General Amy Pope said in a statement.

Greece received 20,428 sea arrivals, about 5,000 fewer than a year earlier, while deaths along the Eastern Mediterranean route rose to 417 from 284.

Arrivals via routes to Spain also declined, with 16,794 people reaching the country through the Atlantic and Western Mediterranean, compared with 22,855 last year. At least 879 fatalities were recorded along those routes.

Pope urged greater international cooperation to save lives, combat trafficking, and expand safe and regular migration pathways.