More than 50,000 people worldwide have lost their lives during their migration since 2014, according to a new report published today by the International Organization for Migration (IOM). The United Nations agency says despite the increasing loss of life, little action has been taken by governments in countries of origin, transit, and destination to address the ongoing global crisis of missing migrants.
Over 30,000 people in the IOM Missing Migrants Project records are of an unknown nationality, indicating that more than 60 per cent of those who die on migratory routes remain unidentified - leaving thousands of families searching for answers. Of the missing migrants whose nationality could be identified, more than 9,000 were from African nations, over 6,500 were from Asia and another 3,000 were from the Americas.
Notably, the top three countries of origin - Afghanistan, Syria and Myanmar - are marked by violence, with many people fleeing their homes to seek refuge abroad, suggesting that a large proportion of those who died were refugees since IOM's Missing Migrants Project began documenting deaths in 2014.
According to the IOM report, more than half of the 50,000 individual deaths documented occurred on routes to and within Europe, with Mediterranean routes claiming at least 25,000 lives. European routes also make up the largest total number and proportion of people who are missing and presumed dead with at least 16,000 recorded missing at sea whose remains were never recovered.
Africa is the second-deadliest region for people on the move, with more than 9,000 deaths during migration documented on the continent since 2014. According to the analysis, regional household surveys indicate that these figures are almost certainly a vast undercount. Nearly 7,000 deaths have been documented in the Americas, most on routes to the United States (4,694). Another 6,200 deaths have been documented across Asia.
"While thousands of deaths have been documented across migration routes each year, very little has been done to address the consequences of these tragedies, let alone prevent them," said Julia Black, co-author of the report. "Regardless of the reasons that compel or drive people to move, no one deserves to die in search of a better life."
Established in 1951, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) is the leading intergovernmental organization in the field of migration that brings together governments from 174 member states. The U.N. agency works closely with intergovernmental and non-governmental partners to support migrants across the world including internally displaced persons, refugees, and migrant workers. The organization is also active in emergency situations. IOM is based in Geneva.
Further information
Full text: 50,000 lives lost during migration: Analysis of Missing Migrants Project data 2014-2022, IOM Report, released November 23, 2022
https://missingmigrants.iom.int/sites/g/files/tmzbdl601/files/publication/file/2022%2050k%20deaths.pdf