Attachments
KEY FINDINGS
Shifts in migration routes and scale.
In 2024, overall arrivals decreased by 29% compared to 2023, with Italy (32%), Spain (31%), and Greece (30%) registering similar shares of arrivals for the first time in a decade. The biggest drop in arrivals compared to 2023 was observed on the CMR (-58%), while the biggest increase on the WAAR (+17%).
Increased interceptions and returns.
Interceptions at and returns from sea to departure coasts have risen over the past five years, reaching over 155,000 unsuccessful crossing attempts in 2024 as reported by various coast and land border authorities (-14% compared to the record high of 180,000 reached in 2023). These returns involved Algeria, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Senegal, Tunisia, and Türkiye, reflecting enhanced border enforcement and the enhanced cooperation between Europe and third countries in countering irregular crossings.
High fatality rates despite fewer arrivals.
The 11% decrease in migrant fatalities registered along the covered routes in 2024 and when compared to 2023, is proportionately lesser than the observed decrease in arrivals. In 2024, a least 3,641 migrants died or went missing, with most fatalities occurring on the CMR (1,719) and WAAR (1,166). Maritime incidents involving migrant vessels can go unrecorded or unnoticed (“invisible shipwrecks”), making the actual death toll likely higher than reported. Drowning remains the leading cause of death, indicating persistent dangers for migrants’ lives when crossing by sea.
Most migrants are young adult males.
According to IOM’s DTM 2024 survey data, most respondents are males (87%), while 13 per cent are females. Women are more frequent along the WAAR (24%) and on the WMR (17%). Among the main nationalities, Nepal (51%), Guinea (41%), the Syrian Arab Republic (37%), Côte d’Ivoire (28%), Senegal (25%) and Algeria (18%) are those with the highest shares of women, while Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Egypt are those with the highest shares of men (from 100 to 96%). While disaggregation by sex and age of arrivals to Europe is not fully available for all countries, this composition of the sample resonates with the available data and field observations.
Overall, economic reasons are the most reported drivers for migration (54%), followed by reasons related to the desire to escape from personal or targeted violence (30%) and the presence of war or conflicts in the origin country (21%). Key drivers vary by route and nationality. Economic drivers prevail on the WMR (69%) and WAAR (60%), with migrants from Morocco, Senegal, Algeria, and Bangladesh reporting it more frequently. Personal and targeted violence is more frequently reported by migrants reaching Italy via the WBR (47%) and the CMR (31%), particularly by migrants from Afghanistan, Côte d’Ivoire, Cameroon, and Pakistan. Conflict-related reasons are among the main drivers on the WAAR (31%) and CMR (30%), cited especially by respondents from Syrian Arab Republic, Sudan, Mali, Somalia, and Burkina Faso.
Environmental changes are increasingly cited on the WMR (30%), reflecting a growing concern observed since 2023. Women report personal violence – including domestic and gender-based violence – as driver for migration more often than men (39% vs. 28% on average).
Most migrants (61%) report travelling alone, especially on the WAAR (94%), WMR (71%), and CMR (67%), while group travel is more commonly cited on the WBR to Italy (84%), often with non-family members (44%), facilitators (37%), or family (3%). Men are more likely to travel alone (63%) than women (52%), who more often travel with family (68% vs. 13%). Overall, 57% of respondents received help organizing their journey, while 43% planned it autonomously.
Migrants primarily report needing support with employment (50%), documentation (29%), and language courses (25%), followed by some mentioning legal services (16%), adult education (13%), personal safety and security (9%), and transportation assistance to continue their journey (8%).
These needs vary by route, but overall reflect the prevalent intention to seek regular status and start a new life in the country where migrants are interviewed.