The International Organization for Migration (IOM) is launching “Missing Migrants: 63,000 Lives Too Many", a temporary display hosted at the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, London, to shine a spotlight on the number of lives lost during migration journeys worldwide, most of which on maritime routes. The installation, running from 10 to 24 June, seeks to raise awareness of one of the most pressing humanitarian crises of our time and honor the memory of those who have died seeking better lives.

The display by IOM in the United Kingdom and IOM’s Global Data Institute, as part of Refugee Week initiatives in the UK, features data and personal stories from IOM's Missing Migrants Project. Established in 2014 following two catastrophic shipwrecks near Lampedusa that claimed over 600 lives, the project is the only global open-access database of migrant deaths and disappearances and the sole indicator on safe migration in the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. From 2014 to 2023 more than 63,000 people lost their lives during migration, with more than 1,800 so far this year.

 “Cultural institutions and places like Royal Museums Greenwich play a key role in shaping ideas and perceptions about some of the most important issues of our time, including among future generations.” says Christa Rottensteiner, Chief of Mission at IOM UK. “The objective of this initiative is to support a more informed debate around migration and the difficult journeys that people undertake, and to shed light on the alarming number of people that continue to die on migration journeys.”

Throughout history, migration has been a courageous expression of people’s resolve to overcome adversity and to live a better life. Every year, however, thousands of people, including women and children, pay the ultimate price, perishing while fleeing violence, poverty and the impact of climate change.

A recent report by the Missing Migrants Project showed that nearly 60 per cent of deaths documented during migration are linked to drowning with over 27,000 related deaths in the Mediterranean alone. Fatalities at sea contribute to more than two-thirds of unidentified deaths worldwide leaving families and communities grappling with uncertainties, living in limbo, unaware of the fate of their loved ones.

The installation also sheds light on IOM’s research study on the experiences of families of missing migrants, featuring testimonies of people who lost their relatives en route to the UK. In the last ten years, the Missing Migrants Project has recorded the death and disappearance of 255 migrants on the English Channel. “One death is one too many” says Rottensteiner, “these tragedies are a wakeup call that more needs to be done to prevent them, while saving lives and upholding migrants’ human rights must remain the priority.”

Saving migrant lives and facilitating pathways for regular migration are among IOM’s new Strategic Plan 2024-2028 objectives. To advance evidence-based policies, IOM recently published the key findings from its first regular pathways report. The publication (forthcoming) provides insights into what pathways for regular migration look like around the world, analyzing data from 100 national and 69 local authorities from 2016 to 2023. It also showcases examples of relevant pathways policies at different stages of the migration journey and across a range of contexts.

We call on States and other partners to join us in our work to end migrant deaths and address the impacts of the tens of thousands of lives lost on migratory routes worldwide. Learn more about how you can help here.

Join us at the National Maritime Museum from 10th to 24th June to honor the memory of the missing migrants and advocate for urgent action to prevent further tragedies.

Information on accessibility at the National Maritime Museum are available here. 

For more information, please contact:

In London:

Abir Soleiman, IOM UK, asoleiman@iom.int, Tel: +447470195306

In Berlin:

Jorge Galindo, IOM GDI, Email: jgalindo@iom.int, Tel: +4915226216775