New data released by the International Organization for Migration (IOM), migrant deaths have more than doubled along the Central Mediterranean Route and tripled along the Eastern Mediterranean Route.
The report added that in the first four months of 2026 compared with the same period in 2025, even as the number of people arriving in Europe fell sharply.
Along the Central Mediterranean, 821 people died or went missing, an increase of 111 per cent, while arrivals fell by 46 per cent to 8,577.
Along the Eastern Mediterranean, 244 people died, a rise of 259 per cent, with many fatalities linked to sea crossings, the report added.
IOM data also show that along the Western African Atlantic Route, arrivals to Spain fell by 78 per cent to 2,276, the steepest decline of any route to Europe. Arrivals to Spain along the Western Mediterranean Route rose by 66 per cent to 5,647.
Arrivals in Yemen along the Horn of Africa Eastern Route rose by 9 per cent to 70,200, in line with seasonal patterns, it said.
