Migration to Europe became far deadlier in the first four months of 2026, even as fewer people made the journey, according to new data from the International Organisation for Migration (IOM).
The data, contained in the IOM’s Global Overview of Migration Routes report, shows that deaths more than doubled on the Central Mediterranean and nearly tripled on the Eastern Mediterranean between January and April 2026, compared to the same period in 2025.
On the Central Mediterranean route, 821 people died or went missing — an increase of 111 per cent — while arrivals dropped sharply by 46 per cent to 8,577.
More than half of those deaths, 430, occurred in January alone after Cyclone Harry struck. On the Eastern Mediterranean, 244 people died, a 259 per cent increase, with many of the fatalities linked to boat disasters near Crete.
“Fewer arrivals do not mean safer journeys,” said IOM Deputy Director General Ugochi Daniels. “Behind every one of these numbers is a family waiting for news that never comes. As journeys grow longer and more dangerous, saving lives at sea and on land remains a shared responsibility, and one that no country can meet alone.”
Other Routes Shift, Some See Rises
The Western African Atlantic route to Spain recorded the steepest decline, with arrivals falling 78 per cent to 2,276. IOM said departure points have shifted further south along the West African coast, forcing migrants onto longer and riskier sea crossings.
In contrast, arrivals to Spain via the Western Mediterranean route rose 66 per cent to 5,647, driven by a threefold jump in land crossings into Ceuta and Melilla.
Arrivals in Yemen via the Horn of Africa Eastern route climbed 9 per cent to 70,200, in line with seasonal trends. In Central America, movement through Panama’s Darién Gap has almost halted, with only 135 northbound transits recorded.
The report also noted wider regional impacts. Hostilities in the Middle East that escalated in late February triggered large-scale displacement in Lebanon and a rise in cross-border returns to Syria in March and April. Labour migration and remittance flows across South Asia, the Middle East and Africa also came under pressure.
“No Solutions Without Data”
Daniels said attention often focuses on a few high-profile routes, but nearly half of the world’s 304 million international migrants move within their own region for work, family, education and safety.
“Good data is not a substitute for solutions, but there are no solutions without it,” she said. “When everyone is working from the same clear picture, better decisions follow.”
The IOM report draws on data from its Displacement Tracking Matrix, Missing Migrants Project, Regional Data Hubs and government partners to track migration trends worldwide from January to April 2026.
A Daily Guide Report