Book

Mortality and Border Deaths Data: Key Challenges and Ways Forward

In: Border Deaths: Causes, Dynamics and Consequences of Migration-Related Mortality, edited by Paolo Cuttitta and Tamara Last, Amsterdam University Press, Amsterdam, 2020, pp. 53–70.
Author
Kate Dearden, Tamara Last, Craig Spencer
Publication Year
2020
Region
Europe and Central Asia
Thematic Area
Families / The Search Process
Topic
Family Needs / Identification / Information Management (Archive/Database/Register) / Migration
Access
Open access

Statistics on border deaths have permeated public discourse over the last few years in Europe, in part due to the increased effort by academics, journalists, NGOs and international organizations to document these deaths. For researchers and policy makers, these quantitative data help indicate the severity of the phenomenon of people dying while trying to reach other countries in an irregularized manner. Such figures can also raise awareness and concern within the general public. This chapter is organized around the main challenges associated with quantitative border deaths data collection and dissemination. The chapter suggests strategies for improvement of the current context as well as directions for research and work on border deaths in the future.