Most migrant deaths in past 10 years were due to drowning, UN says
Representational image of drowning
The UN's migration agency said on Tuesday (Mar 26)that drowning was theleading cause of migrant deathsover the past 10 years, claiming over 36,000 lives. Among the approximately 64,000 migrant deaths documented during this period, nearly 60 per cent were dueto drowning, as disclosed in a report by the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
Mediterranean: A dangerous passage
A significant portion of these tragic incidents occurred in the Mediterranean, where over 27,000 lives were lost. This maritime route is used by migrants attempting to travelfrom northern Africa to southern Europe. The IOM highlighted the extreme dangers associated with this region and the dangerous nature of such journeys.
The IOM cautioned that the figures presented in the report likely underestimate the true scale of migrant deaths, as much of the data remains incomplete. Despite efforts to monitor the Mediterranean more intensively, there are challenges in obtaining reliable data, particularly in regions like the Sahara Desert where monitoring is difficult.
Two-thirds of recorded deaths and disappearances remain unidentified, with over half lacking information regarding the migrant's sex or age. For those cases where origin could be determined, it was observed that over a third originated from conflict-ridden areas or regions with significant refugee populations.
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2023 and 2024 statistics
The year 2023 marked the deadliest period since the IOM began collecting data, with over 8,500 deaths recorded on migration routes worldwide.
Also watch |19 froze to death on Greek border, hundreds protest against migrant pushback
The trend has persisted into 2024, with the organisation noting that current figures are equally alarming. Despite a slight decline in arrivals via the Mediterranean route compared to the previous year, the number of deaths remains distressingly high.
(With inputs from agencies)