PHOTO- UNHCR
AMN
A new UN report on refugees has found that the number of refugees and migrants crossing the mediterranean Sea to Europe has dropped significantly, but the journey has become even more deadly.
UNHCR’s new Desperate Journeys report shows that more than 1,600 people have died or gone missing while attempting to reach Europe so far this year. that the death rate among those fleeing has gone up .
The UN High Commissioner for Refugees released the report on Monday. It focuses on refugees and migrants who crossed the Mediterranean from Libya in North Africa or other countries to Europe between January and July.
The report shows that about 72,100 people fled to Europe during the 7-month period. That’s down about 40 percent from the same period last year. The report attributes the drop to tighter controls in Libya and Italy.
The report also says over 1,500 refugees and migrants died or went missing while at sea. More than 70 percent of them died or went missing while on their way to Italy.
The report says one in 18 refugees and migrants died while crossing to Italy. The death rate is more than double that of the same period last year.
The report blames the Libyan authorities for restricting the work of international NGOs involved in search and rescue operations. It says this has made the journeys of refugees and migrants more dangerous.
The UNHCR’s Special Envoy for the Central Mediterranean Situation, Vincent Cochetel, says many conflicts continue in Africa, forcing people to try and flee to Europe. He said it is necessary to eliminate the root causes of the refugee crisis, but admits that it will take time.
Key stats
Along the Central Mediterranean route, so far this year there have been ten incidents in which 50 or more people died, most after departing from Libya. Seven of these incidents have been since June.
Along the sea route from North Africa to Spain, more than 300 people have perished this year already, a marked increase on 2017 – when 200 deaths were recorded in the whole year.
In April this year, when over 1,200 reached Spain by sea, the rate of deaths climbed as high as one death for every 14 persons arriving in Spain by sea.
More than 78 deaths of refugees and migrants have been recorded so far along land routes in Europe or at Europe’s borders compared to 45 in the same period last year.