A total of 8,565 migrants died on land and sea routes worldwide last year, the UN migration agency said Wednesday, a record high since it began counting deaths a decade ago.
The International Organization for Migration said the biggest increase in deaths last year was on the treacherous Mediterranean Sea crossing, to 3,129 from 2,411 in 2022. However, that was well below the record 5,136 deaths recorded on the Mediterranean in 2016 as huge numbers of Syrians, Afghans and others fled conflicts toward Europe.
IOM said the total number of deaths among migrants in 2023 was nearly 20 per cent more than the previous year.
It said most of the deaths last year, about 3,700, came from drowning.
The count also includes migrants who vanished — often while trying to cross by sea — and are presumed dead even if their bodies were not found.
The Geneva-based migration agency cautioned that the figures likely underestimate the real toll, and factors such as improved data collection methods play a part in its calculations.
"Every single one of them is a terrible human tragedy that reverberates through families and communities for years to come,†IOM Deputy Director General Ugochi Daniels said in a statement.
Overall, the biggest jump in deaths in recent years was in Asia, where 2,138 migrants died last year, 68 more than in 2022. That was primarily because of increased deaths among Afghans fleeing to places like neighboring Iran and among Rohingya refugees on maritime routes, IOM spokesperson Jorge Galindo said in an email.
IOM said a record number of deaths also occurred in Africa last year — 1,866 — mostly in the Sahara Desert and along the sea route to the Canary Islands.
The agency cited difficulties in data collection in remote areas, such as in the dangerous Darien Gap between Colombia and Panama, where many migrants pass from South America on their way north.
IOM’s Missing Migrants project, which tallies the figures, was set up in 2014 after a surge in deaths in the Mediterranean and an influx of migrants on the Italian island of Lampedusa off Tunisia.
Amid new polling indicating most Canadians support boosting Old Age Security benefits by 10 per cent for seniors aged 65 to 74, a former Liberal finance minister and former Bank of Canada governor are warning the government not to pursue the policy change.
A Manitoba man convicted of murder 50 years ago has been acquitted. Clarence Woodhouse was found guilty in 1974 of fatally beating and stabbing a restaurant worker in downtown Winnipeg.
An Ontario child has died after coming in contact with a rabid bat, a health official confirmed on Wednesday.
Prosecutors in Los Angeles are reviewing new evidence in the case of Erik and Lyle Menendez to determine whether they should be serving life sentences for killing their parents in their Beverly Hills mansion more than 35 years ago, the city's district attorney said Thursday.
A woman who says she worked as a hair-and-makeup stylist for Garth Brooks alleged in a lawsuit filed Thursday that he raped her in a Los Angeles hotel in 2019.
Melania Trump revealed her support for abortion rights Thursday ahead of the release of her upcoming memoir, exposing a stark contrast with her husband, Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, on the crucial election issue.
Government business has been put on indefinite pause in the House of Commons and the Conservatives say it will stay that way until the Liberals hand over documents related to misspent government dollars.
When an Ontario doctor refused to sign off on a mammogram for 38-year-old Sidra Lone, the mother of four says she was left with no choice but to lie.
More than 180 people were evacuated Thursday from a Ryanair Boeing passenger jet after it caught fire while taxiing to take off at Brindisi Airport in southern Italy.
Magna International Inc. says it is conducting a “targeted review†of its records as its founder, Frank Stronach, is facing additional sexual assault charges.
Former fashion mogul Peter Nygard has requested bail as he appeals his sexual assault convictions in Toronto and the prison sentence he received last month.
A man charged with first-degree murder in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., doesn't have to sit in the prisoner's box when his trial begins next month, a judge with the Superior Court of Justice has ruled.
The River East Transcona School Division has filed a lawsuit against the City of Winnipeg regarding a fire at one of its schools in March 2022.
A Manitoba man convicted of murder 50 years ago has been acquitted. Clarence Woodhouse was found guilty in 1974 of fatally beating and stabbing a restaurant worker in downtown Winnipeg.
When an Ontario doctor refused to sign off on a mammogram for 38-year-old Sidra Lone, the mother of four says she was left with no choice but to lie.
UN peacekeepers are staying in their positions on Lebanon’s southern border despite Israel’s request to vacate some areas before it launched its ground operation against Hezbollah militants, the UN peacekeeping chief said Thursday.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un threatened to use nuclear weapons and destroy South Korea permanently if provoked, state media reported Friday, after the South’s leader warned that Kim’s regime would collapse if he attempts to use nuclear arms.
More than 180 people were evacuated Thursday from a Ryanair Boeing passenger jet after it caught fire while taxiing to take off at Brindisi Airport in southern Italy.
Prosecutors in Los Angeles are reviewing new evidence in the case of Erik and Lyle Menendez to determine whether they should be serving life sentences for killing their parents in their Beverly Hills mansion more than 35 years ago, the city's district attorney said Thursday.
A TikTok content creator was arrested in Dallas this week and is facing a second-degree murder charge in the death of a Baton Rouge counsellor and life coach whose body was found on the side of a Louisiana highway over the weekend, law enforcement officials said Thursday.
Three former Memphis police officers were convicted Thursday in the 2023 fatal beating of Tyre Nichols, but were acquitted of the harshest charges they faced for a death that sparked national protests and calls for broad changes in policing.
Defence Minister Bill Blair says Israel has the right to defend itself in 'a calibrated and proportional way' following Iran’s ballistic missile attack against Israel on Tuesday.
Federal fisheries officers in Nova Scotia say they're refusing some enforcement duties because of threats to their safety, as they await Ottawa's response to their complaints.
Government business has been put on indefinite pause in the House of Commons and the Conservatives say it will stay that way until the Liberals hand over documents related to misspent government dollars.
Hundreds of Saskatchewan nurses and their supporters rallied outside the legislative building on Thursday calling for action to ongoing staffing shortages and hospital overcrowding around the province.
When an Ontario doctor refused to sign off on a mammogram for 38-year-old Sidra Lone, the mother of four says she was left with no choice but to lie.
An Ontario child has died after coming in contact with a rabid bat, a health official confirmed on Wednesday.
A hacking group tied to Russian intelligence tried to worm its way into the systems of dozens of western think tanks, journalists and former military and intelligence officials, Microsoft and U.S. authorities said Thursday.
Google is pumping more artificial intelligence into its search engine.
Amazon Web Services’ director of global artificial intelligence is encouraging Canada not to go it alone when it comes to regulating the technology.
A woman who says she worked as a hair-and-makeup stylist for Garth Brooks alleged in a lawsuit filed Thursday that he raped her in a Los Angeles hotel in 2019.
Rapper Eminem announced that his daughter Hailie Jade, 28, is expecting her first child via a new music video on Thursday for his song 'Temporary,' featuring Skylar Grey.
Defence lawyers for Canadian musician Jacob Hoggard suggested a woman accusing him of sexual assault concocted an 'extravagant false story' about the nature of the encounter to gain sympathy and hide her infidelity.
The union representing 45,000 striking U.S. dockworkers at East and Gulf coast ports reached a deal Thursday to suspend a three-day strike until Jan. 15 to provide time to negotiate a new contract.
A sign has gone up in front of the most expensive home in B.C. – the waterfront mansion owned by Lululemon founder Chip Wilson – calling the provincial NDP "communist."
Home sales in the Greater Toronto Area rose in September as buyers began taking advantage of a more accessible market, said the Toronto Regional Real Estate Board.
Toilet paper shortages in stores across America are giving folks nightmarish reminders of the pandemic era. But the lack of toilet paper isn’t a direct result of a major port strike Tuesday. It’s because of panic buying.
What does New Westminster's təməsew̓txʷ Aquatic and Community Centre have in common with a historic 68,000-seat stadium in Beijing, an NFL stadium and the aquatics venue for the Paris Olympics? They've all been named among the world's most beautiful sports venues for 2024.
After spending eight years living in the United Arab Emirates before the birth of their daughter in the late 1990s took them back to Canada, teachers Zora and Dave Keffer were no strangers to exploring the world.
Caitlin Clark has been named the WNBA Rookie of the Year in a near-unanimous vote, giving the Indiana Fever back-to-back winners after Aliyah Boston won the honour last season.
Days after being suspended by FIFA, Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez produced heroics in front of the watching Prince William as Aston Villa sealed another famous win against Bayern Munich.
The claim to Shohei Ohtani's potentially lucrative 50th home run ball grew more complicated this week, with a second fan filing a lawsuit asserting he had possession of the historic baseball.
Tesla is recalling more than 27,000 Cybertrucks because the rearview camera image may not activate immediately after shifting into reverse, the fifth recall for the vehicle since it went on sale late last year.
A Pickering, Ont., student going to college to be a mechanic is shocked the engine in his two-year-old car will not be repaired under warranty after the dealership claimed he had been 'over-revving' the engine.
Canadian-made Chrysler Grand Caravans have seen sales jump over the third quarter and calendar year. According to FCA Canada, sales were up by 79 per cent this quarter and up 85 per cent for the calendar-year to date.
The grave of a previously unknown Canadian soldier has been identified as a man from Hayfield, Man. who fought in the First World War.
Moving into the second week of October, the eastern half of Canada can expect some brisker fall air to break down from the north
What does New Westminster's təməsew̓txʷ Aquatic and Community Centre have in common with a historic 68,000-seat stadium in Beijing, an NFL stadium and the aquatics venue for the Paris Olympics? They've all been named among the world's most beautiful sports venues for 2024.
The last living member of the legendary Vancouver Asahi baseball team, Kaye Kaminishi, died on Saturday, Sept. 28, surrounded by family. He was 102 years old.
New data from Greater Vancouver and the Fraser Valley shows a surge in supply and drop in demand in the region's historically hot real estate market.
On Saturday night at her parents’ home in Delaware, Ont. the Olympic bronze medallist in pole vault welcomed everyone who played a role in getting her to the podium in Paris.
A tale about a taxicab hauling gold and sinking through the ice on Larder Lake, Ont., in December 1937 has captivated a man from that town for decades.
When a group of B.C. filmmakers set out on a small fishing boat near Powell River last week, they hoped to capture some video for a documentary on humpback whales. What happened next blew their minds.
A pizza chain in Edmonton claims to have the world's largest deliverable pizza.
When B.C.'s New Democrats published their full campaign platform, there were plenty of populist promises aimed at blunting the impacts of inflation, the housing crisis, and strained social supports – with a subtle message to frustrated health-care workers tucked in its pages.
A new Leger poll suggests the BC Conservatives are now in pole position.
For more than two months, a Squamish, B.C., man has been leading his community and a local wildlife rescue on a wild goose chase – literally.
A 13-year-old boy has been charged with first-degree murder in connection with the stabbing death of a 54-year-old man in Toronto’s west end earlier this week.
The mother of a man who was shot and killed in Etobicoke five years ago is pleading for information that could help solve the case as police announce a new $5,000 award.
A 33-year-old man has been charged with murder in connection with the deaths of his ex-girlfriend and her mother in Courtice earlier this week.
A car ended up on the lawn of a southeast Calgary home on Thursday after police conducted a takedown of a suspect reportedly driving dangerously.
Alberta rolled out a new regional model for victim services this week, prompting concerns from Albertans who've utilized the program.
A Calgary police officer has been demoted of seniority in rank for a year after filming and sharing a video of him having sex with a fellow officer without her consent, with other members of the Calgary Police Service.
A 37-year-old Ottawa business owner is facing charges after a woman was allegedly sexually assaulted while applying for a job, according to police.
Transit Services General Manager Renée Amilcar says the 21-day trial running period for the north-south Trillium Line LRT will begin Oct. 7, meaning the line could open to the public as soon as mid-November.
Ottawa police are asking for the public's help in identifying a suspect in an assault over the summer at an O-Train station.
The Société de transport de Montréal (STM) has closed three metro stations on the Blue Line — Saint-Michel, Fabre and D'Iberville — indefinitely as a preventive safety measure after discovering major structural issues.
The City of Montreal is promising to keep its property tax increase for 2025 slightly below inflation at 1.8 per cent, following years of steep hikes.
A 21-year-old man was found lifeless in Sherbrooke, in the Eastern Townships, on Thursday afternoon.
An Edmonton hot tub repairman who was the subject of a previous Â鶹´«Ã½ Edmonton report has been charged with fraud.
Police started searching a rural property north of Edmonton on Wednesday as part of an investigation into a suspected drug manufacturing lab.
A woman has been arrested after a search of a Blackfalds home turned up six guns and more than half a pound of cocaine.
Federal fisheries officers in Nova Scotia say they're refusing some enforcement duties because of threats to their safety, as they await Ottawa's response to their complaints.
The annual fall vaccines for the flu and COVID are still not available for Nova Scotians.
More than a hundred people living in a mobile home park in Summerside, P.E.I., have been told to pay up or move out.
Residents of an apartment building remain shaken up following an officer-involved shooting inside Wednesday afternoon that killed an armed man.
Small business owners want to see a temporary program that helps combat retail theft be made permanent.
A Manitoba politician who was ousted from the NDP caucus is accusing Premier Wab Kinew of lunging at him and grabbing his arm in 2019, when the New Democrats were in Opposition.
A husband and wife have been on the road trip of a lifetime and have decided to stop in Saskatchewan for the winter.
A man has died in hospital from injuries sustained after being struck by a vehicle on Monday.
Hundreds of Saskatchewan nurses and their supporters rallied outside the legislative building on Thursday calling for action to ongoing staffing shortages and hospital overcrowding around the province.
A Cambridge, Ont. father wants answers after his adult son, who has autism, was arrested and charged with assault after an encounter with a jogger.
A 19-year-old was killed Thursday after his motorcycle was struck by a transport truck near Ayr.
An Ontario child has died after coming in contact with a rabid bat, a health official confirmed on Wednesday.
Staff at Saskatoon's Royal University Hospital (RUH) are calling for systemic changes just two days after its emergency room was more than three times above its capacity.
The mayor of Loon Lake is appealing to both provincial and federal government leaders for assistance in dealing with rising crime in the village, which has seen an increase in vandalism, theft, and property damage.
Staff at the Saskatchewan Penitentiary in Prince Albert seized a sizeable load of contraband on Monday, according to the federal correctional service.
An Ontario child has died after coming in contact with a rabid bat, a health official confirmed on Wednesday.
A fingerprint found on a detergent bottle at the crime scene matched second-degree murder suspect Felicity Altiman, a Sudbury court heard Thursday.
A man charged with first-degree murder in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., doesn't have to sit in the prisoner's box when his trial begins next month, a judge with the Superior Court of Justice has ruled.
Coun. Sam Trosow admits he can’t be certain if it was a beer or a non-alcohol beer that he can be seen drinking during last week’s council meeting.
At least one city councillor has said that she’d like to see the province investigate after a person died following an overdose at London’s safe consumption site Tuesday.
The 36th annual Thanksgiving Food Drive kicked off Thursday with the goal of helping young families and children that face food insecurity issues in our community.
Governance, leadership, quality of care, operations, and financial performance are all concerns highlighted in a final report from an investigation into Stevenson Memorial Hospital in Alliston.
A 62-year-old man has been charged after police received a report about an employee stealing over $60,000 worth of materials from a Huntsville business.
Closing submissions are underway on Thursday in the case of a Barrie man on trial for the death of a young mother 30 years ago.
Juliana Pannunzio, 20, was killed on Jan. 19, 2021, during a house party in Fort Erie, Ontario.
The rabies-related death of a Brantford-area child is highlighting concerns Windsor-Essex health officials flagged following a rise in bat bites.
The Downtown Mission is looking to raise $50,000 during its annual 24-hour “Bench Talk†fundraiser, happening now outside its Ouellette Avenue location.
One person is dead after a floatplane carrying three people crashed Wednesday evening in a remote inlet on British Columbia's central coast.
A new Leger poll suggests the BC Conservatives are now in pole position.
For more than two months, a Squamish, B.C., man has been leading his community and a local wildlife rescue on a wild goose chase – literally.
Three young suspects have been arrested in connection with a swarming attack on a teenager in B.C.'s Okanagan last week – and authorities have asked the public to stop circulating disturbing videos of the incident.
A father in Kelowna is furious after his 13-year-old daughter was brutally beaten on Gyro Beach. He is calling for criminal charges in the devastating attack, which was caught on video by multiple bystanders.
The officer who shot and killed a forcible confinement suspect in Kamloops two years ago was justified in doing so, according to the Independent Investigations Office of B.C.
WestJet has changed its operations at the Lethbridge Airport, and it means there's now only a single daily flight from Lethbridge to Calgary, down from three flights a day, as offered previously.
Archie's Exotic Pet Rescue has been open about six years and, like many other animal rescues, it has seen a surge in surrenders.
It’s almost deadline day for Lethbridge residents interested in becoming members of one of the city’s boards, commissions and committees (BCCs).
A man charged with first-degree murder in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., doesn't have to sit in the prisoner's box when his trial begins next month, a judge with the Superior Court of Justice has ruled.
After receiving complaints about off-road vehicles, police in Greater Sudbury laid more than a dozen charges in a recent safety blitz.
Aiming to bolster public trust and accountability – and help with investigations -- police in Sault Ste. Marie have equipped their vehicles with cameras.
He may not have logged the fastest time or even gone the full distance, but residents of a Newfoundland town agree the goat who unexpectedly joined the local weekend half marathon was the event's undisputed champion.
A mother in a community where the cost of living is one of the highest in the country says grocery prices are 'inhumane' and retailers are putting profits ahead of people’s basic human right to food.
A soccer game in England on Tuesday night drove a spike in online traffic across the Atlantic to a website launched by the Newfoundland and Labrador government.
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