2023 Marks Deadliest Year for Migrants Worldwide with Over 8,500 Fatalities, Says UN Migration Agency
In a sobering revelation, the United Nations migration agency reported on Wednesday that at least 8,565 individuals lost their lives on migration routes globally last year, marking 2023 as the deadliest year on record for migrants.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) disclosed that the grim statistics surpassed the previous record set in 2016, with 8,084 reported deaths and missing persons. Last year’s death toll also reflected a significant 20% increase compared to 2022.
Ugochi Daniels, Deputy Director General of the IOM, emphasized the urgency of collective action in response to these distressing figures. Daniels stated, “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.”
The Missing Migrants Project, an initiative by the IOM tracking migrant deaths and disappearances since 2014, highlighted that the Mediterranean crossing remains the deadliest route for migrants. Last year alone, the project recorded at least 3,129 deaths and disappearances along this perilous route. The findings underscore the critical need for intensified efforts to ensure the safety of migrants and address the underlying challenges of migration worldwide.