India, Aug. 13 -- Severe weather, war, economic pressure and shifting policies reshaped migration journeys across multiple regions in the first four months of 2026, driving a surge in deaths, according to new data released by the International Organization for Migration.
The UN agency's latest route-based data shows a startling spike in fatalities among people seeking a better life, from the Bay of Bengal to the Atlantic Ocean, many of them falling prey to traffickers or scams along the way.
"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, pointin...