United States: The UN refugee agency has reported that over 2,500 individuals have lost their lives or gone missing attempting to cross the Mediterranean to reach Europe this year. At the same time, approximately 186,000 people have successfully reached European countries.
Ms. Ruven Menikdiwela, director of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) office in New York, has told the UN Security Council that out of the 186,000 individuals who crossed the Mediterranean, a significant 83 percent, or around 130,000 people, arrived in Italy. Additionally, people who made the Mediterranean crossing also landed in Greece, Spain, Cyprus, and Malta.
The Security Council was informed that the number of fatalities and disappearances during the deadly sea journey has increased this year compared to the previous year.
“By September 24, over 2,500 people were accounted as dead or missing in 2023 alone,” Ms. Menikdiwela remarked. That number marked a large increase over the 1,680 who died or went missing in the same period in 2022.
The UNHCR official has informed the council that the land journey from sub-Saharan African countries to departure points for sea crossings along the Tunisian and Libyan coasts is still considered as one of the world’s most dangerous routes.
“Lives are also lost on land, away from public attention,” the director stated.
Ms. Menikdiwela noted that over 102,000 people attempted to cross the Mediterranean from Tunisia, marking a 260 percent increase from the previous year. Additionally, more than 45,000 individuals had tried to cross from Libya.
The UNHCR figures were similar to those presented by Mr. Par Liljert, director of the International Office for Migration (IOM), as per the statement.
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