The United Nations has revealed that over 72,000 migrants have died or gone missing along global migration routes in the last decade, with the majority fleeing crisis-stricken countries.
According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), 2023 marked the deadliest year on record, with at least 8,938 people losing their lives during migration.
“These numbers are a tragic reminder that people risk their lives when insecurity, lack of opportunity, and other pressures leave them with no safe or viable options at home,” said IOM Director General Amy Pope.
The report found that nearly 75% of all migrant deaths since 2014 involved individuals escaping conflict, disasters, or severe humanitarian conditions. One in four victims came from countries facing active humanitarian emergencies—such as Afghanistan, Myanmar, and Syria.
In total, more than 52,000 people died trying to escape from one of the 40 countries under a UN humanitarian or crisis response plan.
Pope emphasized the need for long-term solutions: “We must invest in stability and opportunity within communities so that migration becomes a choice, not a last resort.” She also urged nations to cooperate in creating safe, legal, and orderly migration pathways to prevent further loss of life.
The IOM identified the Central Mediterranean as the deadliest migration route globally, with nearly 25,000 deaths at sea over the past 10 years. Over 12,000 of those deaths occurred after departures from war-torn Libya. Others perished crossing the Sahara Desert.
The report also highlighted the deaths of more than 5,000 Afghans—many following the Taliban’s return to power in 2021—and over 3,100 Rohingya, mostly due to shipwrecks or dangerous border crossings into Bangladesh.
The findings underscore the human cost of global inaction and the urgent need for safe migration alternatives.
