Migrant Deaths in the Middle East and North Africa Reach Highest Numbers Since 2017

The International Organization for Migration confirmed today, Tuesday, that "around 3,800 people died last year along migration routes within the Middle East and North Africa, marking the highest recorded number there since 2017." The organization reported that "the recorded death toll was 11% higher than the number recorded in 2021 and the highest since the figure of 4,255 recorded six years ago. The actual number is likely to be much higher due to the scarcity of official data and limited access for civil society and international organizations to migration routes. The violence targeting migrants has also worsened there." Furthermore, the regional director of the organization, Othman Belbisi, noted that "this alarming number requires immediate attention and concerted efforts to enhance the safety and protection of migrants.”