Geneva. At least 321 migrants died or disappeared on sea routes through the Caribbean in 2022, a record number, according to data released Tuesday by the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
According to the IOM’s Missing Migrants Project, which carries out daily updated monitoring of these types of victims, the figure represents a sharp increase compared to 2021, the year in which the deceased and disappeared on these routes amounted to 180.
Only half of the dead and disappeared in 2022 could be identified, said the IOM, who explained that 80 of this group came from Haiti, 69 from Cuba, 56 from the Dominican Republic and 25 from Venezuela.
Causes
“The main cause of death was drowning caused by bad weather conditions that make navigation difficult and the use of precarious boats in poor condition or that are not suitable for navigation on the high seas,” the United Nations organization explained in a statement. .
A good part of the accidents occurred on routes to the United States, from the Dominican Republic to Puerto Rico, from Haiti to the Dominican Republic and from Venezuela to various Caribbean islands.
