In 2023, around 110 million people were displaced and forced to flee their homes because of conflict persecution or natural disaster.

Most stayed within their own countries or regions, but many also took long and dangerous journeys across the globe, often resulting in death.

Last year also saw increasingly hostile government policies and attitudes to migration around the world.

At external land borders in Europe, the Americas and Africa, barriers were built or extended to prevent migrants from entering.

Some striking images of migrants in 2023 have been collected by the migration focused website InfoMigrants.

InfoMigrants was created in 2017, when Europe was facing a migration crisis of historic proportions with the conflict in Syria.

Today, major migration and displacement events continue because of conflict, extreme violence, political and economic instability, or environmental and climate change.

Each week, thousands of people continue to risk their lives to reach safety and how to address this challenge remains a divisive issue.

Migration is not new. People have always travelled in search of a better future. Since the beginning of the Syrian conflict in 2011, Europe has faced unprecedented migration flows. Each week, hundreds of people continue to risk their lives to reach European shores. How to address this challenge remains a divisive issue.

The rationale behind InfoMigrants is that migrants need verified and balanced information, which is often difficult for them to access during their journey.

Studies show that even before they leave their homes, migrants are exposed to a proliferation of poor and unreliable information. And that the majority of migrants receive most of their information from human traffickers and smugglers, who seek to mislead and manipulate them.

InfoMigrants is a collaboration led by three major European media sources: France Médias Monde (France 24, Radio France Internationale, Monte Carlo Doualiya), the German public broadcaster Deutsche Welle, and the Italian press agency ANSA. InfoMigrants is co-financed by the European Union.

See the images here: Migration in 2023 – The year in pictures – InfoMigrants