The Mexican-U.S. border was the world’s most dangerous overland migration route in 2022, according to the UN’s International Organisation for Migration (IOM).

The Geneva-based agency reported on Tuesday that 686 migrants were registered dead or missing.

The number is about eight per cent lower than the previous year, however, the IOM noted there were probably many deaths that went unregistered.

The agency has been keeping data on deaths and missing people since 2014.

In total, at least 1,457 migrants died in the Americas in 2022, the IOM said.

Since 2014 IOM has registered 58,447 dead and missing persons in total, but the highest number by far concerns the Mediterranean Sea with 28,074 since the beginning of data collection.

In 2022, about 2,411 dead and missing persons were registered on the Mediterranean routes.

This year, there were already 2,325 known deaths on the routes from North Africa and Turkey to Greece, Malta, Italy, Cyprus and Spain.(dpa/NAN)