The year 2024 marked the deadliest year for migrants, with drowning remaining the leading cause of death.
At least 8,938 people died on migration routes worldwide in 2024, making it the deadliest year on record, according to the latest International Organization for Migration (IOM) figures.
This number continues a five-year trend of increasing deaths each year, surpassing the previous record of 8,747 migrant deaths recorded in 2023.
“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,” said IOM Deputy Director General for Operations, Ugochi Daniels.
July 2024 was the month with the highest number of deaths and missing persons, recording 1,130 individuals.
Asia experienced the most deaths, with 2,778 people recorded, followed by Africa with 2,242 deaths, and Europe with 233.
Across the world, deaths due to drowning, vehicle accidents, lack of adequate shelter, food, water, and violence remained the principal causes for people on the move.
Since 2022, at least 10% of all migrant deaths recorded occurred because of violence.
In Europe, the number decreased to 6%.
In 2024, this was due in large part to violence against those in transit in Asia, with nearly 600 lives lost on migration routes across South and Southeastern Asia.
Missing migrants not recovered from the sea or identified
The actual number of migrant deaths and disappearances is likely much higher, as many deaths go undocumented due to a lack of official sources.
Since 2014, the remains of more than 30,000 people who lost their lives during migration have not been recovered.
According to the IOM’s Missing Migrants Project, there are likely tens of thousands of families who have loved ones who disappeared along the Central and Western Mediterranean routes towards Europe alone.
“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 deadliest route is the Central Mediterranean route, where more than 24,000 people have died in the last decade.
In Europe, the migration routes which caused the most fatalities were the Western Balkans and the English Channel to the UK.
The Western Balkans route is typically used by migrants, including asylum seekers, who arrive in Greece or Bulgaria from Turkey and are trying to reach Western or Northern Europe.
“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,” said Daniels.
Video editor • Mert Can Yilmaz
