Mediterranean Migrant Deaths Rise Despite Drop in Sea Arrivals: IOM

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – The number of migrants dying or going missing while attempting to reach Europe by sea rose in 2026 despite a significant decline in arrivals, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) told Kurdistan24 on Friday.

From January 1 to October 12, 70,598 migrants reached Europe via the Mediterranean and Atlantic routes, down 36 percent from 110,817 during the same period in 2025. However, recorded deaths increased by around 9 percent, rising from 2,237 to 2,437, according to the IOM.

On the Central Mediterranean route, arrivals in Italy and Malta fell by approximately 55 percent to 24,455, while deaths increased from 921 to 1,006. On the Eastern Mediterranean route, arrivals in Greece declined from 30,140 to 25,433, but deaths rose from 295 to 521.

The IOM attributed the continuing loss of life to dangerous weather, fragile and overcrowded boats, and gaps in search-and-rescue capacity. It said smugglers continued to send migrants to sea in dangerous conditions, with greater use of rubber dinghies observed during the first half of 2026.

The organization called for stronger coordination among states, nongovernmental organizations, and international partners to improve search-and-rescue operations. It also urged the expansion of safe and regular migration pathways, including labor mobility, family reunification, and humanitarian routes.

More than 26,000 people have died or gone missing on the Central Mediterranean route since 2014, making it the world's deadliest migration route, the IOM said.

Meanwhile, Frontex, the European Union's border agency, told Kurdistan24 that preventing deaths requires early detection of boats in distress, rapid information sharing, and coordinated responses by national authorities. The agency said it supports member states through maritime and aerial surveillance, operational assistance, and information sharing to help investigate migrant-smuggling networks.

The responses followed an inquiry by Kurdistan24 into migration risks and search-and-rescue operations in the Mediterranean.

In a separate incident near the Greek island of Samos, the Hellenic Coast Guard reported that six migrants were found unconscious and later pronounced dead after a speedboat overturned while attempting to evade interception. Fifteen men were rescued by one coast guard vessel and another by a patrol ship, while three others were reported missing, according to the Greek authorities.

A 29-year-old Iranian man was arrested on suspicion of smuggling the migrants, the coast guard said.