UN: 2024 saw ‘highest death toll of migrants in transit’

By Devin Watkins

International Migrants Day was marked on Wednesday during the year which has chalked up the highest number of migrants who have died during transit to other countries.

According to th United Nations’ Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, the rhetoric surrounding migrants only makes the situation worse for people seeking a better life.

“These challenges are made worse by the rising tide of mis- and disinformation and hate speech, which sows division and distorts the valuable contributions migrants are making each and every day,” he said.

The Central Mediterranean route, which crosses the sea from Algeria, Egypt, Libya, and Tunisia to get to Italy and Malta, is the deadliest for migrants.

Around 2,500 people died or went missing in 2023 attempting to cross in inflatable rafts or dinghies, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

Migrants’ stories of resilience and hope

Amy Pope, IOM Director General, said International Migrants Day offers the world the opportunity to not only remember the many people who have died in transit but also to highlight the “invaluable contributions of millions of migrants around the world.”

She lamented the global factors that force people to leave their homes, including conflicts, climate-related disasters, and economic hardship.

Ms. Pope said migrants also represent stories of “resilience, progress, and hope,” where safe and well-managed migration is made possible.

The International Day saw the launch of the IOM’s Global Appeal for 2025, which will support projects that reach over 101 million people in 170 countries.

The funding appeal, said Ms. Pope, will help the IOM achieve its three strategic objectives: saving lives, protecting people on the move, and driving solutions to displacement.

Church’s support for migrants

The Catholic Church celebrates its own World Day of Migrants and Refugees every year on the last Sunday of September.

This year marked the 110th edition, and focused on the theme “God walks with His people.”

In his message, Pope Francis reminded everyone that all people on earth are migrants, since we are journeying toward our heavenly homeland, the Kingdom of Heaven.

“Their journeys of hope,” said the Pope, “remind us that ‘our citizenship is in heaven, and it is from there that we are expecting a Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ’.”