A record high number of 8,565 migrants lost their lives on land and sea routes globally in the past year, as reported by the U.N. migration agency. This figure marks the highest death toll since the agency began tracking such data a decade ago.
The International Organization for Migration highlighted a significant rise in migrant deaths, with the most substantial increase occurring on the perilous Mediterranean Sea crossing. The fatalities on this route surged to 3,129 in 2023 from 2,411 in the previous year. However, this number remains lower than the peak of 5,136 deaths recorded in 2016 when a large influx of Syrians, Afghans, and others were fleeing conflicts towards Europe.
