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What is lost when a migrant or a refugee dies or goes missing along dangerous journeys? For the individual and their families? What is lost for communities and societies? How are we contributing to this tragedy when we forget the stories we hear, the images we see? When we fail to imagine the person, their hopes and needs, the anguish of their families?

Restrictive migration policies have made Europe’s mountainous alpine borders even more perilous for the migrants crossing them. A distinctive citizen-led approach to mountain rescue in the Hautes-Alpes is helping to reduce the risks.

Most migrants who die before reaching their destination are never identified. The Greek authorities’ response to a shipwreck in 2023, however, provides an excellent case study of successful identification.

A supportive environment for search and rescue in Niger has made possible an effective humanitarian response to migrants in distress in the desert, offering lessons for other contexts.

Commodified migration packages in the Americas’ corridors heighten already unequal risks, forcing resource-poor migrants onto more perilous routes. Effective policies are urgently needed to mitigate and prevent exploitation along these corridors.

People from the Middle East attempting to reach the US navigate varied terrains as well as bureaucracy, corruption and changing visa regimes. Migration brokers develop dynamic networks, both regular and irregular, to help people move.

Multi-stakeholder humanitarian diplomacy at global and regional levels, including transregional dialogues, are key for mobilising State efforts to address missing migrant cases.

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) takes a flexible approach in its provision of medical care at the Belarus–Poland border. Its model emphasises collaboration with civil society, challenges systemic barriers, and is adaptable and replicable.