At least 1,492 Afghan nationals died or went missing during migration journeys worldwide in 2025, the International Organization for Migration said, underscoring the persistent dangers faced by migrants from Afghanistan.
The figure makes Afghans the largest group among the 2,722 migrants from Asia and the Pacific who died or disappeared last year, according to the agency’s Missing Migrants Project.
The findings, based on the organization’s annual regional overview, place Afghanistan ahead of Myanmar, whose nationals accounted for the second-highest number of fatalities, many of them Rohingya refugees.
Most deaths involving Afghan migrants occurred along land routes between Afghanistan and Iran — a major transit corridor for those seeking to reach Turkey and, ultimately, Europe. The report said at least 1,323 Afghan deaths were recorded along this route alone.
Other fatalities were documented along migration routes from Iran into Turkey, as well as during returns from Iran and Pakistan, where at least 102 deaths were recorded.
The report found that 91 percent of all Asia-Pacific migrant deaths occurred within the region itself, reflecting the risks associated with nearby migration routes rather than long-distance travel.
Beyond the region, at least 251 migrants from Asia-Pacific countries died or went missing along routes to other parts of the world, most of them on journeys toward or within Europe.
Drowning was the leading cause of death globally, accounting for at least 863 fatalities, or about one-third of the total. Illness and lack of access to medical care during migration were the second leading cause, followed by vehicle accidents and hazardous transport conditions.
Afghan nationals represented the majority of deaths linked to illness and transport-related incidents, with a combined total of more than 900 fatalities in those categories.
The report also noted a rise in deaths linked to harsh environmental conditions, including exposure to extreme cold, with at least 117 such fatalities recorded in 2025 — more than double the previous year.
Data on age and gender remains incomplete, with about 40 percent of recorded cases lacking such details. Available information suggests that most Afghan victims were adult men, reflecting migration patterns in which men are more likely to undertake dangerous overland journeys.
The organization cautioned that the true number of deaths is likely significantly higher, given the difficulties of tracking irregular migration and collecting data in conflict zones and remote areas.
The findings mark the second consecutive year in which more than 2,700 migrants from Asia-Pacific countries have died or gone missing globally, highlighting what the agency described as “persistent risks” and the urgent need for stronger protections for people on the move.
“Despite the large number of recorded deaths and disappearances, the data should be considered a minimum estimate,” the report said, noting that many cases go undocumented.
The deaths have had far-reaching consequences for families and communities left behind, the organization added, calling for improved data collection and safer migration pathways.
