According to a recent report from the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), Libya registered the highest number of migrant fatalities on terrestrial routes across North Africa in 2022. This troubling statistic underscores the perilous journey many migrants undertake, with Libya’s position as a significant transit country toward Europe adding to the risk.
In 2022 alone, 3,800 individuals from the Middle East and North Africa lost their lives on unregulated migration routes. This marks the highest toll since 2017, when 4,255 deaths were recorded. These statistics demonstrate the high-risk migrants face, particularly on the dangerous desert terrains of North Africa.
The report highlights the lack of comprehensive official data, and limited access to migration routes by international organisations and civil society. It suggests that the actual number of fatalities could be significantly higher than reported. The fact that 92% of individuals who perish on these routes remain unidentified, underscores the magnitude and severity of the issue.
Libya, a common gateway for migrants attempting to reach Europe, registered the most deaths on land routes across North Africa, with 117 reported fatalities. It was closely followed by Algeria with 54 deaths, Morocco with 13, Tunisia with 10, and Egypt with 9.
These staggering numbers reinforce the urgent need for robust policies to mitigate risks, and safeguard migrant lives. They underline the importance of comprehensive data collection and analysis to guide informed actions and interventions. Addressing this issue remains a pressing concern for the international community, and calls for increased collaborative efforts to protect vulnerable migrants.
Last week, the IOM said that the total number of irregular migrants in Libya is estimated at 706,062 migrants, from more than 44 countries.
The number of migrants in Libya has continued to increase slightly, compared to the previous round of data collection (694,398 migrants, Round 45, November – December 2022).
In 2020, the number of migrants in Libya declined as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, and its socioeconomic impact. Since 2021, the number of migrants has been increasing, yet it remains far lower than prior to the onset of conflict in 2011 when there was an estimated 2.5 million migrants in Libya.