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During Refugee Week 2024, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) – the UN Migration Agency in the UK – organised an event and a pop-up display at the Royal Museums Greenwich. Throughout the two-week exhibition, many visitors had the opportunity to learn more about the many people who continue to die on their migration journeys worldwide, including those attempting to reach the UK.

Tragically, the majority of these deaths occur at sea.

The “Missing Migrants: 63,000 Lives Too Many" display highlighted the global toll of lives lost during migration journeys, most of which on maritime routes.

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. 

“Every death is one too many,” said Christa Rottensteiner, Chief of Mission of IOM UK. “We need more regular pathways for migrants to move safely."
“These figures represent real people—families, friends and loved ones who faced unimaginable risks,” said Andrea Garcia, representative of the Missing Migrants Project.

Created by IOM UK and IOM’s Global Data Institute, the display featured data and personal stories from the Missing Migrants Project as part of Refugee Week initiatives. 

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 aimed to raise awareness of this pressing humanitarian crises and honor the memory of those who lost their lives seeking better futures.

It also shed light on IOM’s research into the experiences of families of missing migrants, featuring testimonies of those who lost relatives en route to the UK, and called on States and partners to support this vital work.