8,565 migrants died in 2023 – UN

The U.N. migration agency says at least 8,565 migrants died on land and sea routes worldwide last year. This figure, according to the United Nations, represents a troubling 20 percent increase from the previous year, highlighting the persistent dangers faced by migrants worldwide. The Mediterranean route from North Africa to Europe remains the most perilous journey for migrants, according to reports.

At least 8,565 migrants died on land and sea routes worldwide last year, the highest number since the U.N. migration agency began counting deaths a decade ago.

The biggest increase was on the treacherous Mediterranean Sea crossing, to 3,129 from 2,411 in 2022, the International Organization for Migration said Wednesday. However, that was well below the 5,136 deaths recorded on the Mediterranean in 2016, as huge numbers of Syrians, Afghans, and others fled conflicts in their homelands toward Europe.

The 2023 count was nearly 20% more than the previous year. Most of the deaths last year, about 3,700, were people who drowned. The count also includes migrants who vanished often while trying to cross by sea and are presumed dead even if their bodies were not found.

“These horrifying figures collected by the Missing Migrants Project are also a reminder that we must recommit to greater action that can ensure safe migration for all, so that ten years from now, people aren’t having to risk their lives in search of a better one.” IOM Deputy Director General Ugochi Daniels said in a statement

The Geneva-based migration agency cautioned that their count likely underestimates the true death toll and said improved data collection methods are a factor in its calculations.

“Every single one of them is a terrible human tragedy that reverberates through families and communities for years to come,” IOM Deputy Director General Ugochi Daniels added.

In recent years, the most significant increase in migrant deaths occurred in Asia, where 2,138 migrants lost their lives in 2023, representing an increase of 68 deaths compared to the previous year. This surge was primarily attributed to heightened fatalities among Afghans seeking refuge in neighboring Iran and Rohingya refugees attempting maritime journeys, according to Jorge Galindo, spokesperson for the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

Additionally, Africa witnessed a record number of migrant deaths in 2023, with 1,866 fatalities reported, largely concentrated in the Sahara Desert and along sea routes to destinations like the Canary Islands. The IOM noted challenges in data collection in remote areas, such as the perilous Darien Gap between Colombia and Panama, a notorious passage used by many migrants traveling from South America to North America.

The IOM’s Missing Migrants Project, established in 2014 in response to a surge in deaths in the Mediterranean region and the influx of migrants on the Italian island of Lampedusa off Tunisia, plays a crucial role in tallying these figures. By documenting migrant deaths and disappearances, the project sheds light on the dangers faced by migrants globally and underscores the urgent need for measures to enhance the safety of migration routes and prevent further loss of life.