GNV News, March 26, 2025

On March 21, 2025, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) announced that migrant deaths in 2024 were the highest on record. At least 8,938 migrant deaths have been confirmed, continuing to rise for the fifth consecutive year. Migrant deaths in Asia were the highest in particular, totaling 2,778. Africa recorded 2,242, and Europe 233, both setting new records for migrant deaths. While final statistics from the Americas have not yet been compiled, at least 1,233 deaths have been confirmed. In the Mediterranean, there were 2,452 deaths; although this is not a record high, there is an even greater need to establish proper search and rescue systems and secure safe migration routes.

More recently, on March 7, two boats carrying more than 180 migrants capsized off the coast of Yemen due to bad weather, resulting in many fatalities in the accident. Although deaths from such accidents remain high, migrant deaths involving violence are being recorded around the world. Since 2022, 10% of recorded migrant deaths have been due to violence. It was reported that in 2024 the majority of these were due to violence against migrants in Asia.

Moreover, because these figures are based on official sources, there is concern about unrecorded migrant deaths. Therefore, through its Missing Migrants Project, IOM provides records and analyses regarding migrants who died or went missing at borders or en route.

Learn more about refugees and migrants crossing from the African continent to Yemen (the eastern route) → “The world’s most crowded maritime migration corridor”

Learn more about the realities of the EU’s measures on migrants and refugees → “EU: The realities of measures for migrants and refugees crossing the Mediterranean”

Migrants seeking rescue from a capsized boat near Florida, United States (Photo: Coast Guard News / Flickr [CC BY-NC-ND 2.0])