Migrant deaths hit record high in 2024, 10% of them victims of violence – UN
2024 was the deadliest year for migrants, with at least 8,938 people dying on the dangerous journey, according to the UN migration agency, with one in ten victims of violence. These deaths included shootings, stabbings, beatings and state-sanctioned executions.
Asia ranks first among the most dangerous migration routes, followed by the Mediterranean Sea and Africa, including sub-Saharan Africa.
"The sharp increase in migrant deaths worldwide highlights the need for a comprehensive international approach. Global cooperation and effective measures are needed to prevent such tragedies," said the Deputy Director-General for Operations of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in a statement.
The IOM report found that 10 percent of migrants died as a result of violence, including shootings, stabbings, beatings and state-sanctioned killings. Violence against migrants was most common in Iran, Myanmar, Bangladesh and Mexico. However, the organization did not specify who was responsible for these killings.
IOM has been collecting data on migrant deaths since 2014. The number has been increasing every year since 2021. The organization says there are thousands of deaths that are not officially recorded because there is no accurate information about the disappearance or death of most migrants.
The Geneva-based IOM and other international organizations have been supporting refugees and forcibly displaced people. However, in recent years, the organization has been forced to scale back its activities or close some programs altogether due to cuts in US funding.
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