GENEVA: The Mexico-United States border was the world’s most dangerous land route for migrants in 2022, with at least 700 dying or going missing, the United Nations (UN) migration agency said on Tuesday.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) recorded 686 deaths and disappearances of migrants on the US-Mexico border last year, making it the deadliest land route for migrants worldwide on record, the agency said.
It said that the figure represents nearly half of the 1,457 migrant casualties and disappearances recorded throughout the Americas last year, the deadliest year on record since IOM’s Missing Migrants Project started in 2014, according to AFP.
Real Figure of Migrants’ Death May be Far Higher
It said the lack of official data –especially from coroners’ offices around the Texas border with Mexico and from the Mexican search and rescue agency — meant the real figure was likely to be far higher.
The IOM said that nearly half the deaths recorded — 307 in total — were of individuals attempting to cross from Mexico to the US via the Sonora and Chihuahua deserts.
That was far more than the number of deaths officially recorded in other desert regions used as irregular migration routes, like the Sahara.
The agency said the “alarming” numbers showed the fatal consequences of nations failing to ensure regular and safe migration routes.
It added that addressing the root causes of irregular migration, enhancing humanitarian help and providing better protection for vulnerable communities are essential measures in safeguarding the lives of migrants seeking a safer future.
