Timeline: 'He wanted to die rather than go back': a year of migration

FILE PHOTO: Children seeking asylum in the U.S. grab onto a rope to guide them through the current while crossing the Rio Grande river into Mexico near the International Bridge between Mexico and the U.S. in Ciudad Acuna, Mexico, September 20, 2021. REUTERS/Go Nakamura

(Reuters) - Cold, hunger and danger. These are the conditions people face when they flee their countries, often risking their lives to escape circumstances ranging from poverty to war.

About 4.2 million people were reported as stateless at the end of last year, although the true global figure is estimated to be significantly higher, according to the U.N. refugee agency.