The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has reported that 2024 has been the deadliest year on record for migrants worldwide.  

According to the organization's latest data, at least 8,938 people lost their lives on migration routes last year.  

IOM stated that this figure is part of a five-year trend of increasing migrant deaths globally.  

“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.

In 2024, IOM recorded, 2,778 migrant deaths in Asia,  2,242 in Africa, 233 in Europe.  

Additionally, at least 2,452 migrants perished in the Mediterranean Sea. While this is not the highest annual figure, it still highlights the grave dangers posed by the lack of safe and legal migration pathways.  

IOM also emphasized that violence remains a major cause of migrant deaths on dangerous routes. In 2024 alone, nearly 600 migrants in Asia were victims of violence.  

The organization stressed that the sharp increase in these numbers underscores the urgent need to establish safe and legal migration routes, which it sees as the only sustainable solution to ending the migrant death crisis.