"The tragedy with the increasing number of deaths among migrants worldwide is both unacceptable and possible to prevent. Behind every figure is a human being, a person, for whom the loss is devastating", says Ugochi Daniels, Deputy Director General of the UN's migration agency IOM.
According to IOM's figures, 8,938 people died on migration routes last year. This makes it the deadliest year ever recorded. The year before, 8,747 migrants died.
According to the UN organization, the real figure is likely to be much higher since many deaths are not registered.
