The report from the Mixed Migration Centre analyses how smuggling works – what contributes to a demand in smuggling and what may be effective in addressing it. It brings together evidence from over 80,000 interviews with people on the move along key mixed migration routes worldwide and more than 450 interviews with smugglers in Africa. The researchers find that current policies aimed at curbing smuggling may in fact be contributing to irregular movement and offers key recommendations on how to do better. 

Rising sea levels, escalating extreme weather events, and other climate-related hazards are increasingly rendering homes uninhabitable and heightening uncertainty for millions – particularly for those least responsible for global warming. The contributions in the 76th issue of the Forced Migration Review highlight the need for responses to climate-related displacement that are forward-looking, rights-based and centered on the protection and agency of affected populations. Authors from five continents offer diverse analytical perspectives, providing a broad set of insights intended to challenge assumptions, stimulate debate, and encourage new lines of inquiry.

As the humanitarian system is at a breaking point, refugee-led organisations continue to be largely excluded form international funding streams – despite often working faster, closer to communities and with greater impact than many established actors. The report examines why the humanitarian system is reaching its limits and outlines the reforms needed to enable genuine participation and a fairer distribution of resources.

In 2025, the world grapples with profound political shifts, a strained humanitarian system, widening inequality, an accelerating climate crisis and technological transformation. This year's Mixed Migration Review (MMR) delves into migration amidst this intensified geopolitical turmoil, featuring insights from policymakers, UN leaders, academics, and activists to stimulate debate. 

The report highlights persistent and intensifying drivers of migration, from escalating conflicts in the Middle East, the Sahel, and Sudan, to instability in Myanmar, climate shocks in South Asia, and economic crises in Venezuela and Lebanon. "Keeping Track" sections offer regional overviews of shifting routes and risks, while "Voices on the Move" shares personal stories of five migrants, illustrating how geopolitical events shape their lives and offering suggestions for improving migration systems. As 2025 draws to a close, the outlook for global migration governance is bleak, with hardening policies and an alarming trend towards viewing migrants as threats rather than rights-bearing individuals, a trajectory that risks the inevitable erosion of their rights.