The United Nations said on Friday that last year was the deadliest year for migrants, with nearly 9,000 people dying worldwide. The UN said the suffering was preventable but unbearable.
“At least 8,938 people died in the course of migration worldwide in 2024,” the UN migration agency said. “The tragedy of the rising number of migrant deaths worldwide is both unbearable and preventable,” said Ugochi Daniels, deputy director-general of the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
“The damage is devastating, but behind every death toll is a human weakness,” Daniels said. “The real number of migrant deaths and disappearances is likely much higher, as many are considered undocumented due to a lack of official sources.”
The identities and other details of most of the victims are unknown. In 2024, 2,778, 2,242 and 233 people died in Asia, Africa and Europe, respectively. The Mediterranean Sea, the main gateway for those trying to reach Europe, has seen 2,452 deaths.
While the latest figures from the US are not yet available, unofficial figures so far put the death toll at at least 1,233. It said “a record 341 deaths were recorded in the Caribbean in 2024, and 174 deaths were recorded in migrants crossing the Darien Forest between Colombia and Panama.”
The Darien Forest was once a major migration corridor for people trying to reach the United States.
