The figures revealed by the recent IOM report highlighting alarming trends in migrant deaths and disappearances over the past decade raise deep concerns. Since tracking began in 2014, more than 63,000 individuals have lost their lives or are missing and presumed dead, according to the Missing Migrants Project, with 2023 proving to be the deadliest with more than 8,500 deaths. recorded.
One in three migrant deaths occurs en route while fleeing to escape conflict. Jorge Galindo, spokesperson for the IOM Global Data Institute, expresses concern over the alarming data. He points out that, even ten years later, people continue to lose their lives in their quest for a better existence. The figures are chilling, with more than 60% of deaths recorded by the project attributed to drowning. In the Mediterranean alone, more than 28,000 deaths and disappearances have been recorded.
The report highlights the high number of unidentified deaths, with more than two-thirds of deceased migrants remaining unknown. It thus underlines the urgency of improving search and rescue operations. Despite political commitments and media attention, the number of migrant deaths is constantly increasing. IOM is calling for better coordination in data collection and identification processes to provide a minimum of closure to affected families.
Today, the Missing Migrants Project remains the only open access global database on migrant deaths and disappearances, compiling information from a variety of sources such as key informants from governments, UN agencies and organizations of civil society.
To find out more about these figures and discover images from the IOM report concerning the statistics of deaths and disappearances of migrants in 2023, I invite you to consult our blog where you will find relevant articles addressing this issue in depth.
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