The central route of the Mediterranean Sea continues to be the largest cemetery in the world. More than 2,500 people have died or disappeared trying to reach Europe in precarious boats so far this year, which represents an increase of two thirds compared to the same period in 2022, according to data from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
To the known lives lost is added an unknown number of deaths that occur along the way through Africa until reaching the coastal departure points of Libya or Tunisia. "Lives are also lost on land, far from public attention," UNHCR New York Office Director Ruven Menikdiwela warned before the UN Security Council on Thursday.
"Although significant attention is devoted to deaths at sea, the stories shared by migrants suggest that several tragedies may be going unnoticed, especially during the crossing of the Sahara Desert," noted the director of the International Organization for Migration ( IOM), Par Liljert, who was present at the same meeting.
Some 186,000 people have arrived in Europe after risking their lives by sea to Italy, Greece, Spain, Cyprus and Malta "in search of a better future and the promise of security," Liljert declared. Greece has seen a 300 percent increase in migrant arrivals so far in years, with Italy almost doubling from 70,000 in 2022 to 130,000 today, of which 11,600 were "unaccompanied minors," Unicef indicated to the France-Presse agency, 60% more than the previous year. The number of arrivals to Spain has remained stable, mainly via the Atlantic route to the Canary Islands compared to last year.
"The Mediterranean has become a graveyard for children and their future. The tragic number of children who die seeking asylum and safety in Europe is the result of political decisions and a failed migration system," said Regina De Dominicis, who coordinates the migration issue at Unicef.
According to IOM, the conflict in Sudan has caused, in August alone, almost 1,300 Sudanese to arrive in Tunisia, one of the main bridges from Africa to Europe and with which the European Commission has sealed a pact to stop immigration. Menikdiwela pointed out that, so far this year, more than 102,000 refugees have taken the sea route from this country, which represents an increase of 260% compared to the previous year.
The controversial agreement sealed this summer between Brussels and Tunisia has been criticized by some countries and NGOs, considering that it has not taken into account the protection of human rights. "Any cooperation or assistance provided to Libya or Tunisia should uphold the human rights of refugees and migrants," Menikdiwela emphasized.
"The European Union's obsession with sealing its borders instead of saving lives allows partners like Tunisia to not only not be questioned for the abuses they commit, but also to pressure the EU for more financial aid," Human Rights denounced this week. Watch. Specifically, the NGO listed the abuses committed by the Tunisian coast guard: "beatings, theft of belongings, abandoning people adrift and dangerous maneuvers that can cause boats to capsize." He also recalled the illegal expulsion of 1,300 sub-Saharan migrants (4,000 according to sources consulted by The Guardian) by Tunisian security guards last July on the border with Libya and Algeria, where at least 27 of them died under the inhumane living conditions of the desert.
From Libya, the number of people trying to make the same route is 45,000, of which 10,600 have been rescued, intercepted or disembarked in Libya; The figure for Tunisia rises to 31,000.
As for Libya, where nearly 50,000 refugees and asylum seekers are registered with the UNHCR, the UN agency warned that it is "not a safe place for disembarkation purposes after a rescue at sea," because many detained refugees are escorted to border areas and expelled to neighboring countries, mainly Egypt, without procedural guarantees.
Liljert, for his part, expressed great concern about the growing discrimination and xenophobia towards migrants, and warned of an increase in these trips due to the increase in conflicts, natural disasters and poverty. That is why she has recommended that the international community take measures not only to "prevent departures", but that the "various drivers of migration" must be taken into account. Menikdiwela also recalled the need to take action that involves ensuring "human rights safeguards, increased search and rescue at sea, prosecution of smugglers and traffickers, and resettlement and complementary pathways."
