According to the U.N. migration agency, 8,565 people lost their lives on migration routes around the world in 2023, making it the deadliest year on record for migrants.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported that the number of migrant deaths last year exceeded the previous record set in 2016, when 8,084 people died or went missing globally.
The death toll in 2023 was also 20% higher than in 2022.
IOM Deputy Director General Ugochi Daniels stated, “These alarming statistics from the Missing Migrants Project highlight the urgent need for greater action to ensure safe migration for all. We must work towards a future where people do not have to risk their lives in search of a better one.”
The Missing Migrants Project, an IOM initiative tracking migrant deaths and disappearances since 2014, revealed that the Mediterranean route remains the most dangerous for migrants, with 3,129 deaths and disappearances recorded last year.
