Irregular migration is causing a rising number of deaths worldwide with almost 700 people lost in January 2026, a major security conference has heard.

In a presentation at the recent Munich Security Conference (MSC) 2026, the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) has called for faster, coordinated action by governments, international partners, and the private sector to protect people on the move and make migration safer and more orderly.

IOM said record levels of displacement are placing significant pressure on national migration governance systems and host communities.

“When these systems fail or are overwhelmed, risks of exploitation, trafficking, and loss of life increase, with consequences that extend beyond humanitarian concerns to social cohesion, economic stability, and security,” IOM Director general Amy Pope told the conference.

“When countries work together to create ways for people to move legally for work, fewer people feel forced to take dangerous, irregular routes,” she said, “Sustained investment in effective systems will protect the vulnerable and reduce reliance on smugglers and traffickers, while still respecting the sovereignty of every nation to govern its own borders and determine its own migration policies.”

At least 699 migrants were killed while fleeing their homes around the world in January 2026, marking the deadliest January since records began, according to figures from IOM.

The rise in numbers has been because of a spike in deaths in the Mediterranean, where a combination of dangerous weather conditions and flimsy, makeshift boats has seen several major incidents so far this year.

As of February 16, 2026 has been the deadliest year in the Mediterranean since the IOM started collecting data through its Missing Migrants Project (MMP) in 2014.

Meanwhile, across Europe and globally, governments are navigating complex migration dynamics while responding to public concerns, resource constraints, and evolving security challenges.

Addressing these pressures requires practical, collaborative solutions that protect people on the move while enabling effective, orderly border governance, IOM said.

At the same time, IOM has released its 2026 Crisis Response Plans, a set of 32 prioritised country and regional plans outlining how the Organization will respond to the world’s most urgent humanitarian crises.

The plans aim to reach 22.7 million people – migrants, internally displaced persons, and host communities – with life-saving assistance and resilience-building interventions. Delivering this response will require $US2.5 billion, a reduction on previous years.

With global humanitarian aid shrinking, IOM says it is focusing on the most urgent needs and engaging where most impact can be delivered.

“The scale of the challenge is stark. In Sudan nearly one in three people has been displaced, either internally or across borders, since the outbreak of the conflict,” IOM said.

In 2026, IOM is seeking $US170 million to assist 1.3 million people affected by this war – working with partners to address the most urgent humanitarian needs.

“We are prioritising support to local actors and institutions, investing in their capacity to deliver quality assistance for a more sustainable, locally led response,” the agency said.

IOM has called on partners, donors, and the international community to engage with these plans and “support a response that is proportionate to the scale of need, grounded in evidence, and centred on people whose lives have been upended by crisis and displacement”.