IOM (Syllabus: GS Paper 2 – IR)

• Context: The International Organisation 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.

oOverall, the biggest jump in deaths in recent years was in Asia, where more than 2,000 migrants died compared to an annual average of under 1,000 since 2014. IOM said 2,138 migrants died in Asia last year, 68 more than in 2022.

International Organisation for Migration (IOM)

• About: Established in 1951, IOM is the leading intergovernmental organization in the field of migration, collaborating closely with governmental, intergovernmental, and non-governmental partners.
• Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland.
• History: IOM was born in 1951 amid the chaos and displacement of Western Europe following the Second World War.
• Status of IOM: It was granted Permanent Observer status to the UN General Assembly in 1992, and a cooperation agreement between IOM and the UN was signed in 1996.
• Membership and Global Presence: With 175 member states, 8 states holding observer status, and offices in over 100 countries, IOM is dedicated to promoting humane and orderly migration. India is a member of IOM.
• Areas of Focus: IOM works in four broad areas of migration management, including:

oMigration and development

oFacilitating migration

oRegulating migration

oForced migration

• World Migration Report: Published annually by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) of the UN.