Since 2014, more than 9,700 persons have lost their lives or gone missing in the Americas trying to migrate. The U.S.-Mexico border is the most deadly route, as 5,420 migrants have been recorded dead or missing trying to cross it. The real figures of deaths and missing are expected to be considerably higher, as the source warns about the difficulties and challenges of collecting this data, especially in Mexico, the Darien Gap, and maritime routes.

Since 2014, at least ***** persons have lost their lives or gone missing in the Americas trying to migrate. The figures are presumed to be considerably higher since, as the source warns, collecting this sort of data is particularly challenging, especially in Mexico, the Darien Gap, and maritime routes. 2022 has been the deadliest year to date, since more than ************ migrants have been reported as dead or missing. The U.S.-Mexico border crossing is the migration route in the Americas with most reported deaths or missing since 2014.

The number of deceased or missing immigrants en route to Spain has experienced a dramatic increase since 2014, standing for years well below the *** cases. The year 2024 registered with a total of ***** persons missing or dead, that is a slight decrease from the previous year.

In 2023, it was estimated that 3,105 migrants died while crossings the Mediterranean Sea. As of 2024, 2,333 casualties were recorded. However, the accurate number of deaths recorded in the Mediterranean Sea cannot be ascertained. Between 2014 and 2018, for instance, about 12,000 people who drowned were never found. Casualties and missing people Worldwide, it was estimated that 8,000 people died in the attempt to flee their country. According to estimations, over 5,000 refugees lost their lives in the attempt to reach the European shores in 2016. Therefore, the Mediterranean Sea was the deadliest migration route. Indeed, over the last couple of years, the Mediterranean Sea held the largest number of casualties and missing people. Western, Central, and Eastern route According to migration studies, the Mediterranean Sea is crossed by a Western, a Central, and an Eastern route. Out of these routes, the Central Mediterranean route was the deadliest. In 2016, roughly 4,600 people lost their lives while pursuing this route. The identification of bodies is challenging due to the sea. In 2019, for instance, the vast majority of refugees who drowned in the Mediterranean Sea were not identified and their country of origin untraceable.

In 2023, more than 2,500 migrants died by crossing the Central Mediterranean route. The Mediterranean Sea recorded worldwide the largest number of deaths and missing cases of people who migrated. In particular, the Central Mediterranean Sea registered the highest number of fatalities. 2016 was the year in which the number of deaths on the Central Mediterranean Route peaked, with more than 4,500 victims. This route includes the crossing from North Africa to Italy and Malta. The main departing country is Libya, while Tunisia, Egypt, and East Algeria represent minor departing shores.

Adults who lean towards the Democratic Party are less likely to believe that undocumented immigrants commit more crimes than U.S. citizens, with a 2018 survey finding that 86 percent of Democrats who correctly believe that most immigrants live in the U.S. legally also believe that undocumented immigrants are no more likely than U.S. citizens to commit serious crimes. This drops to 38 percent for Republicans who believe the majority of immigrants are undocumented.

It was estimated that, in 2015, around 75 percent of immigrants in the United States were living in the country legally.

The estimated population of unauthorized immigrants in the U.S. stands at around ** million people. Although the number has stabilized, the United States has seen a spike in migrant encounters in the last few years, with over * million cases registered by the U.S. Border Patrol in 2023. This is a slight decrease from the previous year, when there were over *** million cases registered. Due to its proximity and shared border, Mexico remains the leading country of origin for most undocumented immigrants in the U.S., with California and Texas being home to the majority.

Immigration and political division

Despite the majority of the population having immigrant roots, the topic of immigration in the U.S. remains one of the country’s longest-standing political debates. Support among Republicans for restrictive immigration has grown alongside Democratic support for open immigration. This growing divide has deepened the polarization between the two major political parties, stifling constructive dialogue and impeding meaningful reform efforts and as a result, has led to dissatisfaction from all sides. In addition to general immigration policy, feelings toward illegal immigration in the U.S. also vary widely. For some, it's seen as a significant threat to national security, cultural identity, and economic stability. This perspective often aligns with support for stringent measures like Trump's proposed border wall and increased enforcement efforts. On the other hand, there are those who are more sympathetic toward undocumented immigrants, as demonstrated by support for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.

In 2024, 13,779 immigrants who reached Italy came from Bangladesh. Moreover, around 12,500 migrants were from Syria, whereas 7,700 people originated from Tunisia. These three nationalities constituted more than half of the total individuals arrived. Mediterranean routes to Europe The Mediterranean Sea recorded the largest number of deaths and missing cases of migrants worldwide. The Mediterranean Route leading to Italy is known as the Central Mediterranean Route, which counts the highest number of fatalities among the different Mediterranean routes. This route includes the crossing from North Africa to Italy, as well as to Malta. The main departing country is Libya, while Tunisia, Egypt, and East Algeria are minor departing shores. After the Central Mediterranean Sea, the Eastern Mediterranean Sea registered the second-highest number of deaths and missing people. The Eastern Mediterranean route includes migration flows from Türkiye to Greece and Cyprus. Main countries of arrival Between January and October 2024, Italy was the European country registering the largest number of migrants' arrivals. All the 55,000 immigrants reached the country by sea. Spain was the second country of first arrival in Europe, followed by Greece. The overall number of migrants who set foot on Italian shores expanded in the last years. However, the death and missing cases did not drop proportionally to the number of people who reached the coast.

As of December 2024, Lombardy was the region in Italy hosting the largest share of immigrants, followed by Emilia-Romagna, Lazio, and Piedmont. Lombardy is the region with the highest number of inhabitants in the country. The north Italian region has ten million residents, around one sixth of the total national population, and was housing 18,200 immigrants. The Mediterranean route to Europe  In 2020, 955 migrants died or went missing in the Italian Central Mediterranean Sea in the attempt to reach Europe. In 2024, 66,317 people arrived at the Italian shores, 91,300 individuals less compared to 2023. Death and missing cases still represent a serious hazard for the people who want to reach Italy from North Africa. Racism on the rise in Italy Race-related violence is strictly correlated with immigration. According to 2020 data, the cases of racial physical violence increased, in particular between 2016 and 2018. Over these three years, the cases of body violence ranged from 24 to 127 attacks. Similarly, insults, threats, and harassment became more widespread. Between 2017 and 2019, the cases grew from 88 to 206, while only in the first three months of 2020 there were 53 episodes of racist insults, threats, and harassment.

Of the 3,677 repatriations carried out in Spain in 2023, more than 84 percent were deportations. It is worth mentioning that the number of returns experienced a rebound from 2015, while the number of expulsions followed the opposite trend.

In 2024, there were ***** Albanians imprisoned in England and Wales, the highest foreign nationality in that year. Additionally, there were *** Polish nationals in jail, and *** Romanians, the second, and third-highest among foreign nationalities.