2023 Is Deadliest Year on Record for Migrants with Nearly 8,600 Deaths

Rabat – Last year marked the deadliest year on record for migrants, with a staggering 8,565 individuals losing their lives on migration routes worldwide, according to data from the UN’s International Organization for Migration (IOM).

The grim figure represents a 20%increase compared to the previous year, IOM said in a report.

Ugochi Daniels, Deputy Director General of IOM, expressed profound sorrow at the loss of lives. “Every single one of them is a terrible human tragedy that reverberates through families and communities for years to come,” Daniels remarked, while calling for the urgent need for collective efforts to ensure safe migration for all.

The total number of deaths in 2023 surpasses even the previous record set in 2016 when 8,084 people died while attempting to cross to Europe.

The Mediterranean crossing remains the most dangerous route for migrants, with at least 3,129 deaths and disappearances recorded last year alone, which represents the highest death toll in the Mediterranean since 2017.

In addition, unprecedented numbers of migrant deaths were documented across Africa with 1,866, and Asia with 2,138, with many migrating through the harsh conditions of the Sahara Desert or dying at sea en route to the Canary Islands.

The report further highlighted the crisis of the Afghan and Rohingya refugees fleeing conflict and persecution. The report indicated that hundreds of deaths were recorded among these populations.

IOM maintains that the true extent of migrant fatalities is likely much higher than reported, with challenges in data collection persisting, particularly in remote regions and maritime routes.

The Missing Migrants Project, established in 2014 following devastating shipwrecks off the coast of Lampedusa, Italy, is a critical indicator of the safety of migration.

The project is recognized within the Sustainable Development Goals and the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly, and Regular Migration as a key tool for measuring progress in safeguarding migrants’ rights and dignity.

In its capacity as coordinator of the UN Network on Migration, IOM called on governments and the international community to increase efforts to prevent further loss of life and uphold the rights and dignity of all individuals, regardless of their migration status.