UN Report Calls 2023 The Deadliest Year For Migrants In The Last Decade

Migrant boats in the Mediterranean Sea. (Wikimedia Commons/Mstyslav Chernov/Unframe)

JAKARTA - The International Organization for UN Migration (IOM) announced on Wednesday that 2023 was the deadliest year for migrants since records began a decade ago, with the number of those killed reaching 8,565 people.

"The death toll in 2023 is a tragic 20 percent increase compared to 2022, highlighting the need for urgent action to prevent further loss of life," IOM said in a statement.

Previously, the highest number of migrant deaths in a year was recorded in 2016, at which time 8,084 migrants died.

Furthermore, IOM said, because safe and regular migration routes are still limited, hundreds of thousands of people are trying to migrate every year through irregular channels in unsafe conditions.

The Mediterranean Sea Crossing continues to be the deadliest route for migrants, with at least 3,129 deaths and disappearances recorded last year.

More than half of the total migrant deaths in 2023 were caused by drowning, with 9 percent caused by vehicle accidents and 7 percent caused by violence.

The IOM Missing Migrant Project was founded in 2014 as an open access database regarding migrant deaths and disappearances.

Since then, there have been more than 63,000 documented cases worldwide, although the actual figure is expected to be much higher due to challenges in data collection, particularly in remote locations.

"When we commemorate the 10 years of the Missing Migrant Project, we first remember all the lives lost," said Deputy Director General of IOM Ugochi Daniels.

"Everything is a terrible humanitarian tragedy that will continue to resonate throughout the family and community over the years to come."

"The dire numbers collected by the Missing Migrant Project are also a reminder that we must re-commit to larger actions that can ensure safe migration for everyone, so that 10 years from now, people don't have to risk their lives to find a better life."