UN finds increase in migrant deaths on 2 routes in early 2026 amid Vatican concerns

A United Nations report published Aug. 12 found an increase in migrant deaths and missing migrants along two European routes during the first four months of 2026, as the Vatican and bishops continue to voice concerns about safety.

The report , published by the U.N.’s International Organization for Migration (IOM), found that many migrants fall victim to human traffickers and scams along the journey. A majority of the increase in deaths, however, were caused by drownings in the Mediterranean Sea.

“Attention tends to settle on a handful of routes, but nearly half of the world’s 304 million international migrants live within their own region, moving for work, family, education and safety,” IOM Deputy Director General Ugochi Daniels said in a statement .

“Good data is not a substitute for solutions, but there are no solutions without it,” she said. “... When everyone is working from the same clear picture, better decisions follow.”

The two routes with a sharp increase in migrant deaths were the Central Mediterranean Route and the Eastern Mediterranean Route. The central route mostly reflects migrants arriving in Italy from northern Africa and the eastern route mostly reflects…