Between 2014 and 2023, at least 63,285 people have died or gone missing while migrating around the world, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
The majority of these deaths and disappearances, numbering 28,854, occurred in the Mediterranean.
Nearly 60% of the documented deaths were caused by drowning.
Over a third of the identified individuals were from conflict-ridden countries, including
Afghanistan, Myanmar, Syria, and Ethiopia.
The deadliest year for migrants in the last decade was 2023, with 8,541 deaths recorded, largely due to an increase in fatalities in the Mediterranean.
The report noted that at least 729 people died off the Tunisian coast in 2023, compared to 462 in 2022.
The Central Mediterranean has historically seen most migrant deaths off the coast of Libya.
With anti-immigration parties gaining influence in Europe, governments have been trying to reduce migration flows by providing funds to Mediterranean countries like Tunisia and Egypt.
Recently, the EU pledged a 7.4 billion euro ($8 billion) funding package to Egypt to address this issue.
Several European countries, including Italy, Hungary, and Britain, prioritize curbing immigration, while far-right parties like France's National Rally have gained popularity.
Pope Francis and other religious leaders have urged for greater compassion towards migrants and a pan-European response to prevent the Mediterranean from becoming a "sea of death." A decade ago, the world was shocked by the deaths of 600 migrants and refugees in two Mediterranean shipwrecks near Italian shores.
Since then, the UN migration agency, IOM, has been keeping track of the number of people who have died or gone missing while trying to flee conflict, persecution, or poverty to other countries.
The IOM reports that despite repeated pledges from governments to save lives and fight smugglers, people continue to die.
The actual number of lives lost is likely much higher due to the difficulty in obtaining and verifying information.
For instance, entire boats have reportedly disappeared on the Atlantic route from Africa's west coast to Spain's Canary Islands.
The text discusses the issue of unidentified migrant deaths in the Sahara desert and around the world.
Many deaths go unreported, and when recorded, over two-thirds of the victims remain unidentified.
This is due to a lack of resources and prioritization.
The growing number of unidentified migrants is considered a crisis, and each unidentified death leaves a family dealing with the psychological, social, economic, and legal impacts of the loss, known as "ambiguous loss."