New reports by the International Organization for Migration and Amnesty International examine the fatal journeys undertaken by migrants and refugees
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) yesterday released what it called "the world's most comprehensive tally to date of migrant fatalities across land and sea."
You can read the 216-page report - Fatal Journeys: Tracking Lives Lost During Migration - here.
The report documents the death of at least 40,000 "irregular" migrants since the year 2000. However, IOM acknowledges that this is an estimate and the true number of fatalities is likely to be considerably higher.
IOM notes that Europe is the world's most dangerous destination for "irregular" migration, with over 22,000 migrants having died trying to reach the continent since 2000, mainly on treacherous routes across the Mediterranean Sea.
IOM says it hopes the publication of "Fatal Journeys" will begin to provide some clarity to what many consider to be a growing epidemic of crime against migrants. It represents an initial step towards a more comprehensive accounting of what is happening to the victims and a wake-up call for governments.
IOM's Director General said: "The paradox is that a time when one in seven people around the world are migrants, we are seeing an extraordinarily harsh response to migration in the developed world. Limited opportunities for safe and regular migration drive would-be migrants into the hands of smugglers, feeding an unscrupulous trade that threatens the lives of desperate people. We need to put an end to this cycle. Undocumented migrants are not criminals. They are human beings in need of protection and assistance, and deserving respect."
Meanwhile, Amnesty International today released an 88-page report on the spiralling death toll of refugees and migrants trying to reach European shores.
Lives adrift: Refugees and migrants in peril in the central Mediterranean can be read here.
Amnesty's report details the findings of recent visits to Italy and Malta, including a research trip on an Italian Navy vessel. Amnesty says the report exposes the reality of the dangers faced by those fleeing war, persecution and poverty, and the pitiful response of most European states.
With over 2,000 deaths recorded in the past few months alone, the report says "[a] survival test is being imposed by the EU and European governments on refugees seeking sanctuary and on migrants desperate for a life with dignity."
John Dalhuisen, Europe and Central Asia Programme Director at Amnesty International, was quoted as saying in a press release: "As the EU builds its walls higher and higher, refugees and migrants are increasingly taking to the Mediterranean in a desperate bid to reach European shores. Placed on rickety boats by ruthless smugglers, every week hundreds of them sway between life and death, between hope and despair."
"More than 2,500 people have drowned or gone missing in the Mediterranean on their way from North Africa since the start of the year. Europe cannot ignore the tragedy unfolding on its doorstep. More search and rescue vessels in the central Mediterranean, with the clear mandate of saving lives in the high seas and resources adequate to the task – that's what the EU and its members must urgently provide."
Amnesty International also argues that the EU Dublin Regulation, where the EU member state of first arrival is responsible for processing asylum claims, places an unfair strain on countries involved in the rescue operations as they carry the longer term responsibility of meeting their needs.