Sunday

28th May 2023

Migrant death rates at sea continue to climb

  • NGO boats rescued almost 39,000 people in first seven months of 2017 (Photo: Wikimedia)

The risk of death at sea for people crossing the Mediterranean continues to increase as the EU and member states attempt to stamp out refugee flows from Libya.

A report by the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) out on Monday (3 September) says that while the number of arrivals from Libya has dropped, the proportion of people lost at sea has increased.

Read and decide

Join EUobserver today

Become an expert on Europe

Get instant access to all articles — and 20 years of archives. 14-day free trial.

... or subscribe as a group

"A higher proportion of people are dying at sea, with one death for every 18 persons who arrived in Europe via the central Mediterranean route between January and July this year compared to one death for every 42 in the same period in 2017," notes the report.

The death rate increases to one out of every 14 that leaves directly from Libya, compared to one for every 40 in the same period in 2017.

The proportionate spike in deaths appears linked to the decrease in search and rescue operations off the Libyan coast given Italy's recent crackdown on NGO charity boats.

It poses questions for the EU's repeatedly stated claims that the safety of refugees and migrants remains its top priority.

Earlier last month, the European Commission said it was training the Libyan coastguard because "our main objective is to protect migrants."

But figures from the UNHCR paint a contradictory picture, noting that some eight charity boats had rescued 39,000 people in the first seven months of 2017.

Most of the NGO boats are now gone, with the Libyan coast guard launching the bulk of the rescues using just two vessels.

The EU-backed "migrant safety plan" is designed to shore up the Libyan coast guard to perform the operations off its coast and to get UN agencies to send people back home from Libya or shuffle them into a resettlement programme.

People plucked from the sea by the Libyan coast guard are sent to detention centres, which are rife with abuse.

The number of people detained has doubled in recent months to around 10,000, including women and children.

The country, which remains in turmoil, has also seen a recent flare up in violence, with running street battles between armed groups in Tripoli.

The fighting has put hundreds of refugees and migrants detained in Ain Zara at risk of getting caught up in the hostilities.

Meanwhile, the two remaining NGO boats that continue to operate do so further away from the Libyan coast amid intense political and legal pressure from Italy and Malta.

The result is that people in overcrowded boats which are not detected by the Libyan coast guard have to travel further and longer before getting rescued either by the NGOs, the Italian coastguard, or other military or commercial vessels in the area.

A snapshot into those that do arrive in Italy from Libya shows that Eritreans, who have a 92 percent chance of getting international protection, make up the second biggest group of arrivals after Tunisians.

Some 1,100 people were feared dead on the central Mediterranean route from the start of the year to end of July.

A total of 18,500 arrived in Italy by the route, compared 95,200 the same time last year.

Migrant death rate spikes despite EU 'safety' priority

Death rates of people crossing from Libya to reach Italy has spiked from 1 in 64 in the first five months to 1 in 16 in June and July alone. Yet the EU maintains their safety is a main priority.

Interview

Spanish NGO boat bosses face jail for rescuing Libya refugees

Spanish NGO Proactiva Open Arms had its rescue boat seized by Italian authorities in Sicily earlier this month. Three employees have been accused of migrant trafficking and face up to 15 years in jail and huge fines.

EU promotes 'Egypt model' to reduce migrant numbers

EU council president Donald Tusk wants to discuss deepening relations with authoritarian Egypt, as a model of migrant reduction, with EU heads of state and government at a meeting in Salzburg, Austria on Wednesday.

Latest News

  1. How the EU's money for waste went to waste in Lebanon
  2. EU criminal complicity in Libya needs recognition, says expert
  3. Europe's missing mails
  4. MEPs to urge block on Hungary taking EU presidency in 2024
  5. PFAS 'forever chemicals' cost society €16 trillion a year
  6. EU will 'react as appropriate' to Russian nukes in Belarus
  7. The EU needs to foster tech — not just regulate it
  8. EU: national energy price-spike measures should end this year

Stakeholders' Highlights

  1. International Sustainable Finance CentreJoin CEE Sustainable Finance Summit, 15 – 19 May 2023, high-level event for finance & business
  2. ICLEISeven actionable measures to make food procurement in Europe more sustainable
  3. World BankWorld Bank Report Highlights Role of Human Development for a Successful Green Transition in Europe
  4. Nordic Council of MinistersNordic summit to step up the fight against food loss and waste
  5. Nordic Council of MinistersThink-tank: Strengthen co-operation around tech giants’ influence in the Nordics
  6. EFBWWEFBWW calls for the EC to stop exploitation in subcontracting chains

Stakeholders' Highlights

  1. InformaConnecting Expert Industry-Leaders, Top Suppliers, and Inquiring Buyers all in one space - visit Battery Show Europe.
  2. EFBWWEFBWW and FIEC do not agree to any exemptions to mandatory prior notifications in construction
  3. Nordic Council of MinistersNordic and Baltic ways to prevent gender-based violence
  4. Nordic Council of MinistersCSW67: Economic gender equality now! Nordic ways to close the pension gap
  5. Nordic Council of MinistersCSW67: Pushing back the push-back - Nordic solutions to online gender-based violence
  6. Nordic Council of MinistersCSW67: The Nordics are ready to push for gender equality

Join EUobserver

Support quality EU news

Join us