Migrant deaths hit new record high in 2024, United Nations agency says
ADVERTISEMENT
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.
Related
EU borders recorded over 120,000 migrant pushbacks in 2024, says report by NGOs
"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.
ADVERTISEMENT
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.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Euronews
4 days ago
- Euronews
Which European countries are achieving the highest education levels?
In 2014, just over a quarter (26%) of EU citizens aged 25–74 had completed higher education. By 2024, that share had risen to 33.5%. Ireland, Luxembourg and Cyprus lead the pack, with more than 60% of young adults (25–34) holding university degrees. Romania sits at the other end of the spectrum, with fewer than 30% of that age group pursuing higher levels of education, the lowest rate in the EU. The figures reveal shifting attitudes toward education across generations. Among adults aged 25–54, 82.7% have completed at least upper-secondary education, compared with 70.4% of those aged 55–74. Young people are nearly twice as likely to have finished higher education (39.8%) as their older counterparts (23.9%). Differences in vocational qualifications between age groups vary sharply by country. In Luxembourg, in both older and younger generations with medium levels of education, vocational paths dominate (over 96%). In Portugal, only 13.5% of older adults with medium-level education hold a vocational qualification, versus 37.2% of younger adults. Similar generational leaps in vocational uptake are observed in Greece, Ireland, Cyprus and Spain, signalling a broader European shift toward skills-focused education. Across Europe, women are outpacing men in educational attainment. In 2024, nearly half (49.9%) of women aged 25–34 had completed higher education. Men also progressed, but more slowly, reaching 38.7% in the same age group. That gap widened by just over 1% in 10 years. For upper-secondary education, 86.8% of women aged 20–24 had completed at least this level, compared with 81.8% of men. Only in Romania did men slightly outperform women.
Euronews
25-04-2025
- Euronews
I wish I didn't have to send people back to Libya, Frontex chief tells Euronews
ADVERTISEMENT Frontex Executive Director Hans Leijtens has told Euronews he wishes that no migrants arriving in Europe had to be returned to Libya, where they often face human rights abuses — but said his agency sometimes "has no choice". Frontex, the EU's external border and coast guard agency is regularly challenged by human rights groups for not doing enough to save lives at sea. It uses drones or planes to detect boats, often packed to the brim with people, heading in the direction of the European coastline. A coordination centre is then alerted, and the migrant boats often intercepted and returned to other Mediterranean coastlines. Among them is Libya, a key departure point for dangerous sea crossings to Europe, where severe human rights abuses of refugees and migrants, including torture, have been widely documented. Asked about the fate migrants face when deposited back on Libyan soil, Leijtens sounded a regretful tone. 'I don't want people to be returned to Libya, that's the only way we can do it, is to inform this maritime rescue coordination centre", he said. "And if it's in Libyan territory, it's the Libyans who have to take the responsibility, and they do." Leijtens said he keeps getting asked why Frontex often doesn't alert NGOs that take on the responsibility of rescuing those in danger instead of simply returning their boats to Libya itself. "That would mean that I would play with human lives, because if the NGOs are not available, then there's no coordination, then people might drown", he explained. Leijtens told Euronews that despite the fate that might await them, sometimes return is the best way of ensuring migrants don't drown. "And I cannot take that responsibility. So as long, as much as I do not like people to be returned to Libya, if I have to choose, again, I'd rather save lives than not save lives". 'Part of the ecosystem' NGOs that take on the responsibility of searching and rescuing endangered civilians often face serious hostility from EU member states, who see their work as a "pull factor" that encouraged refugees to flee. Leijtens rejected this, saying there is no evidence that the work NGOs do is the reason why often vulnerable civilians risk their lives to cross dangerous waters to Europe. He said he regards NGOs as "part of the ecosystem", with them and Frontex "cooperating" to save lives at sea. "I'm in touch with them, we speak. We try to understand each other's positions, we try to make sure that we don't sort of block each other because we all see the need to save lives at sea, for example", he told Euronews. One of Frontex's roles is the return of people whose asylum applications have been rejected. This, he explained, is an area where more cooperation with NGOs is possible. ADVERTISEMENT "For example, what we do is, after we return people, we have a so-called post-return programme, which is meant to help people pick up their lives again," Leijtens explained. Related EU border agency investigates Greece over alleged migrant rights violations Med5: Interior ministers call for strengthening of Frontex and agreements with third countries for returns "And for this, we hire NGOs to perform this on our behalf with European Frontex funding. So I think it's actually a more nuanced picture than has often been told." Leijtens, who has served as the head of Frontex for the past two years, is considering the prospect of a potential expansion in Frontex's search and rescue work. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has proposed to increase the agency's staffing by 30,000, a number that could provide a significant boost in Frontex's mission to secure Europe's external borders. ADVERTISEMENT
Euronews
16-04-2025
- Euronews
At least 50 dead after boat catches fire in northwest DRC, Congolese officials say
ADVERTISEMENT A boat has capsized after catching fire in the north-western part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), leaving at least 50 people dead and hundreds missing, a local official has said. Dozens were saved following the accident on the Congo River late on Tuesday night, many of them badly burned. A search for the missing is under way with rescue teams supported by the Red Cross and provincial authorities. The motorised wooden boat with about 400 passengers caught fire near the town of Mbandaka, Compétent Loyoko, the river commissioner, said. The boat, HB Kongolo, had left the port of Matankumu for the Bolomba territory. Related EU to review raw materials deal with Rwanda over DRC conflict - top diplomat Have Belgian troops been deployed in the Democratic Republic of the Congo? About 100 survivors were taken to an improvised shelter at the Mbandaka town hall. Those with burn injuries were taken to local hospitals. The fire reportedly broke out while a woman was cooking on board, Loyoko said. Several passengers, including women and children, died after jumping into the water without being able to swim. Boat accidents are common in the central African country, where late-night travels and overcrowded vessels are often blamed. Authorities have struggled to enforce maritime regulations. The DRC's rivers are a major means of transport for its more than 100 million people, especially in remote areas where infrastructure is poor or non-existent. Hundreds have been killed in boat accidents in recent years as more people abandon the few available roads for wooden vessels packed with passengers and their goods.
