Almost 100 migrant deaths and disappearances in January 2024
Almost 100 deaths and disappearances of migrants crossing the Mediterranean have been recorded since the new year, according to Reuters on January 29th.
The figure is more than double than was recorded during the over the same period in 2023.
The UN’s International Organization for Migration (IOM) made the declaration at the Italy-Africa Conference in Rome, where African leaders and EU officials met to discuss economic affairs and tackling undocumented migration to Europe.
The figure includes 40 people that set off from Tunisia on January 10th, bound for Italy, and a further two “invisible shipwrecks” which embarked from Libya and Lebanon the same month.
Tunisia has recently supplanted Libya as Africa’s main departure point for those attempting to cross the sea to Europe, fleeing poverty and conflict.
READ: Tunisia: Search intensifies for 40 missing migrants
The IOM’s announcement follows the January 24th rescue of 62 people off the coast of Cyprus, having gone missing for six days after setting sail from Lebanon. Most of the rescuees are severely ill, with several children in critical condition, and one child having since died.
The organization’s Missing Migrants Project found that people 3,041 died or disappeared crossing the Mediterranean in 2023, a significant increase from 2,411 in 2022.
Director General, Amy Pope, stated: “Even one death is one too many. The latest record of deaths and disappearances is a stark reminder that a comprehensive approach that includes safe and regular pathways – a key strategic pillar for IOM – is the only solution that will benefit migrants and states alike.”
Reuters
