Published on : 29/04/2022 – 11:22Modified : 29/04/2022 – 13:53
The number of deaths at sea on the road to exile has increased sharply compared to 2020, according to the High Commissioner for Refugees, which wants ” alternatives to avoid these situations.
More than 3,000 migrants trying to reach Europe died at sea last year, twice as many as in 2020, the UN said on Friday, which wants “ alternatives to these desperate and dangerous escapes. “ Of this total, 1,924 people were reported dead or missing on the Central and Western Mediterranean routes, while another 1,153 died or went missing on the North West African sea route to the islands. Canary Islands said a spokeswoman for the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) in Geneva, Shabia Mantoo. In 2020, 1,544 deaths had been reported for the two routes. And the phenomenon continues, 478 more people died or went missing at sea in 2022, continues the spokesperson.
According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the Covid-19 pandemic and the resulting border closures have had an impact on migration flows, with many refugees and migrants turning to smugglers in an attempt to reach Europe despite everything.
Arrivals in Europe which have also almost doubled
In a report published this Friday, the UNHCR notes in particular that 53,323 people arrived by sea in Italy in 2021, or 83% more than in 2020, and 23,042 arrived in the Canary Islands, almost as many as in 2020.
There has also been a 61% increase in sea departures from Tunisia in 2021 compared to 2020 and 150% from Libya. Departures from Algeria, on the other hand, only increased very slightly (+3%). Most sea crossings are in overcrowded inflatable boats in poor condition, UNHCR says. Many of these boats deflate or capsize, resulting in the death of the occupants.
The central Mediterranean is the deadliest migration route in the world, with more than 17,000 deaths and disappearances recorded since 2014 by the Missing Migrants Project of the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
Death is not the only danger that threatens refugees and migrants, also notes the UNHCR spokesperson. They are also victims of numerous human rights violations: extrajudicial executions, illegal and arbitrary detentions, sexual violence, forced labour, slavery, forced marriage, etc.
According to the UNHCR, between political instability, conflicts, deterioration of socio-economic conditions and climate change, the conditions are met to observe in the coming years an increase in displacements towards Europe from Africa. The organization calls on governments to develop “ alternatives so that refugees and migrants do not have to embark on journeys that put them at the mercy of traffickers or put their lives in danger.
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