At least 8,938 people died on mixed migration routes worldwide in 2024, making it the deadliest year on record, according to new data from the International Organization for Migration (IOM). The IOM said Friday that the 2024 toll continues a five-year trend of more deaths each year, and that last year's toll surpassed the previous record set in 2023, when 8,747 deaths were recorded.
“The tragedy of the growing number of migrant deaths worldwide is both unacceptable and preventable. Behind every number is a human being, someone for whom the loss is devastating,” Ugochi Daniels, IOM deputy director-general for operations, said in a statement.
“The increase in deaths across so many regions in the world shows why we need an international, holistic response that can prevent further tragic loss of life.”
According to the latest IOM data, 2024 was the deadliest year on record not only globally, but in most regions of the world, including Asia (2,778 recorded deaths), Africa (2,242) and Europe (233).
The 2,452 deaths documented in the Mediterranean in 2024 are not the highest annual total ever, but the large number shows the need for adequate search and rescue systems, as well as the need for safe and regular mixed migration routes as an alternative to the risky journey.
IOM said final data is not yet available for the Americas, but at least 1,233 deaths occurred in 2024. This includes an unprecedented 341 deaths in the Caribbean in 2024 and a record 174 deaths of migrants and refugees crossing the Darién Gap.
Across the world, deaths due to violence continued to plague people on the move. Since 2022, at least 10 percent of all recorded deaths have been due to violence. In 2024, this was largely due to violence against people in transit in Asia, with nearly 600 deaths on routes in South and Southeast Asia.
The actual number of deaths and disappearances is likely to be much higher, as many remain undocumented due to a lack of official sources. In addition, the identities and demographic characteristics of most of those who have died or gone missing are unknown.
“The rise in deaths is terrible in and of itself, but the fact that thousands remain unidentified each year is even more tragic,” said Julia Black, coordinator of IOM's Missing Migrants Project.
“Beyond the despair and unresolved questions faced by families who have lost a loved one, the lack of more complete data on risks faced by migrants hinders lifesaving responses.”
The Missing Migrants Project is an initiative of the Global Migration Data Analysis Centre (GMDAC) at IOM's Global Data Institute in Berlin. The project aims to document deaths and disappearances of people in the process of moving to an international destination, regardless of their legal status.
Overall, the Missing Migrants Project has documented more than 74,000 people who have died or gone missing since 2014. The deadliest route globally is the Central Mediterranean route, where more than 24,700 people have perished.
Established in 1951, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) is the leading intergovernmental organization in the field of migration, bringing together the governments of 174 member states. The UN agency works closely with intergovernmental and non-governmental partners to assist migrants around the world, including internally displaced persons, refugees and migrant workers. The organization, which is based in Geneva, also responds to emergency situations.
Background
Migration and forced displacement are global phenomena driven by many forces, including the quest for human dignity, security and peace. The decision to leave one's home is always an extreme one, and too often the beginning of a dangerous, sometimes deadly journey.
IOM uses the term migrant as an umbrella term for all people on the move, including refugees, asylum seekers and victims of trafficking. Its definition covers both voluntary migrants - such as people moving for work, education, and family reunification - and forcibly displaced people - such as refugees, internally displaced persons, and asylum seekers.
However, refugees are persons who have crossed an internationally recognized border and who, owing to circumstances beyond their control, have been forced to flee their country of origin and are in need of protection and assistance in finding safety and security in another country. Refugees are formally defined and protected under international law.
A refugee is a person who, owing to persecution, war, conflict, violence, serious violations of human rights, serious disturbances of public order, or other reasons which have made it impossible or dangerous for him or her to remain in his or her country of origin or nationality, has been forced to leave his or her country of habitual residence and to seek refuge outside that country.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) recommends that people who are refugees or likely asylum seekers should be referred to as such, and that the term migrant should not be used as an all-encompassing term for people who cross borders with the intention of staying in another country, nor should the term refugee be used as a subcategory of migrant.
Although the term migrant is increasingly used as an umbrella term - especially in academia and the media - to refer to any person who moves away from his or her usual place of residence, regardless of the reasons, DONARE, other than IOM, generally refrains from using migrant as an umbrella term, opting for the terms migrants and refugees, as well as mixed migration and mixed movements.
According to this view, a migrant is generally a person who moves voluntarily and without force from one place to another, across borders or within a country, with the intention of establishing a new place of residence, either temporarily or permanently. Migration may occur for various reasons, including work, education, family reunification, escape from hunger or poverty, economic prospects, better living conditions, or a range of other purposes.
In general, migrants can return to their home countries without risk to life and liberty. However, many migrants endure unspeakable hardship and take life-threatening risks to leave their home country and reach a destination country. Some groups of migrants are in need of humanitarian assistance and protection, especially those crossing dangerous deserts and maritime routes.
Mixed migration refers to the movement of people who have different reasons for moving, but who often travel along the same routes or use similar methods. This concept highlights the complexity of human movements, where people with different motivations - such as economic migrants, refugees, asylum seekers and victims of trafficking - are part of the same population flow.
Further information
Website: International Organization for Migration: Missing Migrants Project
https://missingmigrants.iom.int/