The section of the sea route running from the Turkish coast in the Aegean Sea to the Greek islands is extremely dangerous for boats carrying migrants. 2023 was the deadliest year for migrants Refugees and Migrants
Last year was the deadliest year for migrants in modern history, with more than 8,540 deaths; 60 percent of them drowned. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) announced this on Tuesday.
In 2024, the trends remain equally alarming. On the Mediterranean route, the death toll is almost as high as before, with 956 deaths recorded since 1 January.
According to the UN, every third death among migrants occurs while fleeing armed conflicts. More than two thirds of the migrants whose deaths have been documented remain unidentified.
True figures are higher
The IOM notes that due to the large number of unidentified deaths, families and communities are forced struggle for a long time with the lack of clarity about the fate of their relatives and friends. To date, according to the UN Missing Migrants Project, the remains of 26,666 people who died during migration have not been found.
“According to available information, almost 5,500 women have died along migration routes over the past ten years, and the number of identified children is 3,500,” Ugochi Daniels, IOM Deputy Director General for Operations, commented on the latest data. She said the true death toll of women and children is likely much higher, as the total number of migrant deaths for whom there is no information about gender or age is approximately 37 thousand.
Call for safe routes
According to the IOM, one in three migrant deaths whose origin can be determined came from countries affected by conflict or with a large number of refugees. This demonstrates the deadly dangers faced by those trying to leave conflict zones without safe routes, the IOM emphasizes. The deadliest route remains the Central Mediterranean, where at least 23,092 people have died since 2014.
IOM has adopted a new strategic plan for 2024-2028, the main goal of which is rescue lives and protecting people during migration. To do this, the UN migration agency is calling on countries and other partners to work together to end the high mortality rate among migrants and address the impact of the deaths of tens of thousands of people along migration routes around the world.
Read also: