A new United Nations initiative aims to reduce the risk that migrants die or go missing following a record 8,600 migrant deaths in 2023.

The initiative is described in recommendations made in the 2024 report on the implementation of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM).

They include the need to provide access to humanitarian actors to deliver assistance to those in distress and improve data collection about those who are missing.

The GCM report is issued every two years and highlights progress, gaps and opportunities, offering concrete recommendations to advance commitments and improve migration governance.   

Since 2014, close to 70,000 migrant deaths and disappearances have been recorded, and 2023 was the deadliest year on record, with nearly 8,600 deaths.   

“Each one of these deaths is a preventable tragedy,” said International Organisation for Migration (IOM) Director General Amy Pope, who is also coordinator of the United Nations Network on Migration.

“This GCM report lays out specific, and much needed, steps to save lives and protect the rights of migrants,” Ms Pope said.   

The third GCM report introduces key recommendations on providing humanitarian assistance to migrants in distress and strengthening cooperation on missing migrants, including concrete proposals to prevent migrants from dying or going missing, enhance search and identification efforts, support affected families, provide justice, accountability and redress, collect data on migrant deaths and disappearances and share migration forecasting data to optimize humanitarian assistance.  

The report recognises that significant strides have been made in recent years, such as integrating migration into national development plans and the expansion of safe and regular pathways for migration.

However, it underscores persistent and severe challenges that demand urgent attention.

Irregular migration routes continue to expose migrants to grave risks, increasing their vulnerability to exploitation, abuse or endanger their lives.

Many migrants face barriers to accessing essential services, such as healthcare and education. Harmful narratives and stereotypes about migration and migrants undermine efforts to protect their dignity and rights.  

To support member countries in overcoming these challenges, the report introduces a new voluntary framework of indicators.

This framework provides a roadmap for evaluating GCM implementation, aligning migration policies with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and improving migration data.

Member countries are urged to adopt these indicators in their national GCM reviews, implement the actionable recommendations outlined in the report to save lives and enhance humanitarian assistance and actively participate in regional reviews to share best practices and strengthen multilateral cooperation.