Refugee routes across the Mediterranean are becoming deadlier, with the highest number of deaths and missing people in six years.
In the first half of this year, more migrants died on the escape routes across the Mediterranean than at any time since 2017.
In all, at least 1,874 people were killed or missing in the first six months of the year, according to data from the UN Organization for Migration’s (IOM) Missing Migrants Project. Last year there were 1108 in the same period.
Business Insider previously reported, citing the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), that 1,859 died in the Mediterranean in the first six months of this year.
According to data from the “Missing Migrants Project”, at least 2,278 migrants died on the three Mediterranean routes in 2017, and 2,946 in 2016. According to this information, at least 27,633 people have died on the Mediterranean routes since 2014. The IOM emphasizes that the true numbers are likely higher. Presumably boats went down too, no trace of which was ever found.
The worst tragedy so far this year was the sinking of an overcrowded boat off the coast of Greece in May, killing hundreds. Smugglers use the summer months in particular to help desperate people flee from war, conflicts and desolate living conditions in their homeland towards Europe. Far too many people are often crammed into boats that are hardly seaworthy.
Source: Stern
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