The United Nations International Organization Of Migration (IOM) has declared the U.
S.-Mexico border as the world's most lethal land route for migrants.
The organization's report, published on Tuesday, revealed that 686 migrant deaths and disappearances occurred along this border in 2022.
In the same year, illegal immigration across the southern border reached an unprecedented level, with approximately 2.2 million encounters recorded by federal authorities, as per the Congressional Research Service.
Michele Klein Solomon, IOM Regional Director for Central and North America and the Caribbean, expressed her concern over the alarming statistics. "These alarming figures are a stark reminder of the need for decisive action by States," she said on Tuesday. Solomon emphasized the importance of enhancing data collection and urged countries to utilize this data to establish safe, regular migration routes.
The IOM report also highlighted that the U.S.-Mexico border accounted for nearly half of the 1,457 migrant deaths and disappearances recorded throughout the Americas in 2022, making it the deadliest year for the region.
The Darien Gap in Panama, a region traversed by approximately 250,000 migrants in 2022 in their journey to the U.S., witnessed 141 migrant deaths. The IOM report also noted a high number of disappearances, with one in every 25 individuals crossing the Darien reporting a missing travel companion.
Marcelo Pisani, IOM Regional Director for South America, expressed his concern over the lack of information about missing migrants. "The fact that we know so little about migrants who disappear in the Americas is a grim reality," Pisani said on Tuesday. He further highlighted the profound impact of these disappearances on the families left behind.
The surge in illegal immigration at the U.S.-Mexico border continues, with more than 1.6 million encounters with migrants who crossed illegally recorded by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) between October 2022 and July. The IOM report also indicated that approximately 340,000 migrants have already traversed the Darien Jungle in 2023.
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