Story Highlights
- Over the past decade, drowning has emerged as the leading cause of migrant deaths, with over 36,000 fatalities recorded, predominantly in the Mediterranean.
- The UN’s migration agency revealed that drowning accounted for over 60% of the approximately 64,000 migrant deaths documented in the last 10 years.
Mediterranean: A Dangerous Passage
A significant portion of these tragic incidents occurred in the Mediterranean, where over 27,000 lives were lost. This maritime route is used by migrants attempting to travel from northern Africa to southern Europe. The extreme dangers associated with this region and the perilous nature of such journeys were highlighted by the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
The IOM cautioned that the figures presented in the report likely underestimate the true scale of migrant deaths, as much of the data remains incomplete. Challenges in obtaining reliable data persist, particularly in regions like the Sahara Desert where monitoring is difficult.
Two-thirds of recorded deaths and disappearances remain unidentified, with over half lacking information regarding the migrant’s sex or age. For cases where origin could be determined, it was observed that over a third originated from conflict-ridden areas or regions with significant refugee populations.
2023 and 2024 Statistics
The year 2023 marked the deadliest period since the IOM began collecting data, with over 8,500 deaths recorded on migration routes worldwide.
The trend has persisted into 2024, with the organisation noting that current figures are equally alarming. Despite a slight decline in arrivals via the Mediterranean route compared to the previous year, the number of deaths remains distressingly high.
