“Africa Has Recorded Over 16,942 Migration-Related Deaths Since 2014”

What are the most recent statistics concerning the number of Cameroonians who flee the country to migrate illegally, and are there any deaths recorded during this process?
At IOM, we refer to such movements as Irregular Migration, a term that more accurately reflects both the realities and challenges of migration that does not comply with established legal frameworks of the countries involved.
According to IOM’s Missing Migrants Project, Africa has recorded over 16,942 migration-related deaths since 2014, with many occurring in the Sahara Desert and along maritime routes. 
In 2023, nearly 8,600 migrants died globally, marking the deadliest year on record. A significant portion of these deaths occurred in Africa, particularly in regions where Cameroonian migrants frequently travel.The good news is that the process of developing a National Migration Policy has already been initiated under the leadership of the Ministry of External Relations. Once established, it will help address challenges related to tracking migration movements in a broader sense.

How advanced is the implementation of the Citizen and Patriotic Migration project in reducing the number of people migrating?
The Citizen and Patriotic Migration Project was launched last year by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Civic Education (MINJEC) in partnership with the IOM on 13 May 2024 at Dschang University. It was initiated to provide a more coordinated and effective response to migrants' needs before, during, and after their movements. Since June 2017, nearly 10,000 Cameroonian migrants have benefited from IOM's voluntary return program, with almost 20...