109 Pakistanis dead or missing on migration routes in 2025: IOM

At least 109 Pakistani nationals were reported dead or missing in 2025 while attempting irregular migration, according to new data released by the International Organization for Migration.

The figures form part of the agency’s Missing Migrants Project, which recorded a total of 2,722 deaths and disappearances involving individuals from the Asia-Pacific region. This marks the second consecutive year in which global migrant fatalities have exceeded 2,700, underscoring the continued dangers faced by people attempting to cross borders through unsafe and undocumented routes.

According to the data, Afghanistan accounted for the highest number of cases, with 1,540 migrants reported dead or missing, followed by Myanmar with 935. Pakistan ranked third with 109 cases, followed by Bangladesh and India.

The IOM cautioned that these figures likely represent only a fraction of the true toll, as many incidents go unreported due to the secretive nature of irregular migration and the difficulty in tracking fatalities along such routes. As a result, the recorded data should be viewed as a minimum estimate.

Most of the deaths, around 91 per cent, occurred within the Asia-Pacific region itself. Key migration corridors included land crossings between Afghanistan and Iran, as well as dangerous sea routes across the Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea.

Outside the region, at least 251 Asia-Pacific migrants died or went missing, primarily along routes leading to or within Europe.

The report also noted gaps in available data, with details such as age and gender missing in a significant number of cases, highlighting challenges in fully documenting the human cost of migration.