International Organization for Migration: "Over 60,000 Migrants Dead or Missing in 10 Years... 60% Drowned"

Many Women and Children
Last Year 8,500 Deaths, Highest Record

Over the past decade, more than 64,000 migrants have died or gone missing worldwide, with a significant number of deaths caused by drowning.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) revealed this information in a report on the 26th (local time), stating, "Among the approximately 64,000, the gender and age of about 37,000 have been identified, and since this figure is based only on official records, the actual number of deaths and disappearances could be higher."

In 2017, Syrian refugees are crossing the Lesbos Sea in Greece on rubber boats. [Photo by University of Nevada]

Among the deceased whose countries of origin were identified, more than one-third were from conflict zones or countries with large refugee populations. The report analyzed that this suggests many lost their lives trying to escape conflict areas without secure routes.

There were also many female and child fatalities. The report stated, "Over the past 10 years, 5,500 women and 3,500 children have died." It further explained, "Considering that unidentified deaths account for two-thirds of the total, the number of female and child deaths could be much higher."

Sixty percent of migrant deaths were related to drowning. In particular, ship accidents occurring in the Mediterranean Sea, en route from North Africa to Southern Europe, are identified as a major cause of migrant deaths. The deadliest incident was the shipwreck off the coast of Greece in June last year. At that time, a fishing boat carrying migrants capsized near the Greek coast, resulting in about 600 missing or dead.

The report stated, "Over the past 10 years, 27,000 people have died in Mediterranean accidents," and emphasized, "The international community needs to strengthen its capacity to prevent maritime accidents and save lives."

The number of migrant deaths has been increasing recently. The report explained that last year’s migrant death toll reached a record high of about 8,500, and this trend has intensified this year. It added that this trend is evidenced by the fact that although the number of migrants entering Europe via the Mediterranean in January and February this year (16,818) was significantly lower than the same period last year (26,984), the number of deaths remained similar.

IOM emphasized, "Protecting people who risk their lives to migrate requires cooperation among relevant countries and various partners," and called for "international cooperation to strengthen rescue capabilities, expand safe and legal migration routes, and combat human trafficking organizations."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.