Episode 24: The Missing Migrants Project - tracking missing and deceased migrants

The Migration & Diaspora Podcast

Hello and welcome to another episode of the Migration & Diaspora Podcast, hosted from East Sussex, UK, by me, Loksan Harley.

Today I am excited to bring to your airwaves a discussion with Julia Black from the International Organization for Migration's (IOM) Global Migration Data Analysis Centre (GMDAC).

Julia coordinates IOM's Missing Migrants Project, which deals with data collection and identification of missing migrants worldwide. Julia is also the co-editor of IOM’s most recent report on migrant deaths and identification, Fatal Journeys 4, and has authored several other GMDAC publications. Before joining IOM, Julia ran a local non-profit in the San Francisco Bay Area. She holds a MA in International Affairs from the Hertie School of Governance, and a BA in Peace and Conflict Studies from the University of California, Berkeley.

In today's interview, we learn all about Julia's fascinating work with the Missing Migrants Project, which tracks incidents involving migrants, including refugees and asylum-seekers, who have died or gone missing in the process of migration towards an international destination. We touch on some of the headline data that the project has collected since its creation in 2014, as well as the main causes of migrant death and disappearance and the different migration corridors along which these tragedies occur. And we discuss how Julia and her relatively small project team collects data from a variety of sources to shine light on these very troubling things that are happening to migrants around the world.

I really enjoyed this interview and I was blown away by both the project's ability to collect and share so much data with such a small team. I also admire Julia greatly for her ability to explain the challenges, complexities and applications of the project's data work with such clarity.

As always I'd like to thank you so much for listening and if you are enjoying the podcast, why not subscribe at Homelandsadvisory.com/podcast. Thanks again and enjoy.

Useful links

• Missing Migrants Project
• Download Missing Migrants Project data
• Global Migration Data Analysis Centre
• Fatal Journeys Volume 4: Missing Migrant Children
• Connect with Julia on LinkedIn