Human Rights: more than 63,200 migrants have died in the last 10 years, a third of them fleeing conflicts

MADRID, 26 Mar. (EUROPA PRESS) –

More than 63,200 migrants have died in the last 10 years as a result of dangerous migratory routes, a third of them coming from countries in conflict, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) has warned.

In its latest report, the IOM indicates that at least 3,471 Afghans have died on migration routes after fleeing Afghanistan due to the Taliban takeover in 2021, while 2,202 Burmese migrants lost their lives as a result of persecution against the community. Rohingya.

The organization has also warned that the number of deaths in 2023 has increased by 20 percent compared to the previous twelve months, with 2023 being the deadliest year since 2014, with 8,541 deaths compared to the 7,141 recorded in 2022. Most Migrants in 2023 came from Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Burma, Syria or Senegal.

Just under half, around 3,100 migrants, died in Mediterranean waters. Of the total recorded in 10 years, more than 36,000 people drowned during sea voyages. The report also shows that the number of deaths in the Mediterranean has remained the same, with 2015 and 2016 being the worst years, with 4,055 and 5,136 deaths, respectively, but with a slight decrease between 2018 and 2020.

Drowning remains the main cause of death for migrants, with 4,470 deaths in 2023, including 2,882 missing people who allegedly died in the context of maritime migratory routes. Although the vast majority of deaths occurred in the Mediterranean, many migrants also died at the border crossing between the United States and Mexico, as well as crossing the Gulf of Aden.

The IOM attributes the increase in deaths in the Mediterranean Sea in the last year – 3,105 compared to 2,411 in 2022 – to the increase in departures from the Tunisian coast, where 729 deaths were recorded, a higher figure compared to the 462 deaths registered in 2022. In previous years the trend of departures was, fundamentally, Libya.

With respect to Africa, the organization reflects in its report that 2023 was one of the worst years for the continent, with 1,866 deaths recorded compared to 1,031 deaths in 2022, a figure only surpassed in 2019, when 1,911 people died.

Migrants on the African continent lost their lives on the Atlantic route to the Canary Islands and in the Sahara. However, the IOM warns that the numbers could be much higher due to the difficulty of tracking deaths in the desert and there may be “invisible shipwrecks” in Atlantic waters.

In addition, the organization points out that there has been a change in trend in 2023, since the number of people leaving from countries such as Senegal and Mauritania has increased, while in previous years the majority of migrants came from the Moroccan coast.

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