Migrant crossings to Europe by sea drop sharply amid heightened risks: IOM

The number of migrants crossing to Europe via sea routes has dropped sharply since January this year, as the journey is becoming more dangerous, according to a new report by the International Organization for Migration (IOM). The agency said about 60,000 migrants and refugees reached Europe by boat so far in 2026, down 39 percent from roughly 98,000 over the same period last year. The new report shows that, despite the decline, at least 2,292 people have died or gone missing attempting the crossing, up from 1,999 over the same period last year, many on overcrowded, ill-suited boats departing Libya’s coast. “These figures tell two stories at once,” said IOM Director General Amy Pope said Thursday.