The number of migrants reaching Europe by sea has fallen 39 percent compared to the same period last year, yet fatalities have risen, according to a new report by the International Organization for Migration (IOM). Around 60,000 migrants and refugees arrived by boat in 2026, down from roughly 98,000, but at least 2,292 people died or went missing during the crossings — up from 1,999 over the comparable period in 2025 — with many casualties recorded on overcrowded vessels departing Libya's coast along what the IOM describes as the world's deadliest maritime routes. IOM Director General Amy Pope called the figures a dual warning, saying that while fewer people are arriving, deaths remain at "alarming" levels, and urged sustained international cooperation to expand safe migration pathways, combat trafficking, and prevent what she described as largely preventable losses at sea.