Sea crossings to Europe fall sharply, but migrant deaths rise, IOM says

The IOM reports about 60,000 migrants reached Europe by boat in 2026 so far, down 39% from roughly 98,000 in the same period last year. Despite fewer crossings, at least 2,292 people died or went missing, up from 1,999 a year earlier, mostly on overcrowded boats from Libya. IOM chief Amy Pope called the Mediterranean and Atlantic routes the world's deadliest and urged safer, legal migration pathways.