UN: 1600 People Have Died While Crossing the Mediterranean This Year

The United Nations reported on Monday that despite a significant decrease in the number of migrants and refugees crossing the Mediterranean Sea to Europe, the likelihood of death during this dangerous journey has increased. According to Reuters, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees announced in its new report that between January and July, over 58,000 migrants and refugees reached Europe via the Mediterranean, which is about 41% less than the same period in 2017. The report states that the number of people who have arrived in Italy via the very dangerous central Mediterranean route has decreased to about 18,000 in the first seven months of this year, whereas this figure was over 95,000 in the same period last year. However, the agency warns that crossing the Mediterranean has become more dangerous, and the percentage of people who lose their lives during this journey has sharply increased. In the first seven months of this year, about 1,600 people have died on this perilous journey, with around 1,200 of those fatalities occurring in the central Mediterranean route, which is about half of last year's victims, while the number of migrants arriving in Italy was five times higher than this year. Thus, one in every 18 people attempting to reach Europe via the central Mediterranean route dies, while last year's figure was one in 42. Pascal Moréa, head of UNHCR operations in Europe, stated, 'This report once again emphasizes that the Mediterranean Sea is one of the deadliest maritime routes. Given the significant decrease in the number of people reaching European shores, this situation is not a measure of Europe's ability to manage migrants but rather a measure of the humanity required to save these individuals' lives.' Reuters adds that despite the significant decrease in migrant arrivals, Europe is facing a widespread political crisis regarding migration. The populist government of Italy has announced that it will not accept migrants rescued in Libyan waters and, along with Malta, has repeatedly closed its ports to ships from humanitarian organizations that operate in the area to assist migrants. Spain has accepted several charity and rescue ships that Italy had denied entry. According to UNHCR statistics, the number of migrants entering Spain in the first seven months of this year has doubled compared to the same period last year, exceeding 27,000. The new report from UNHCR comes exactly three years after the publication of images of the lifeless body of Alan Kurdi, a young Syrian boy on the shores of Turkey, which highlighted the dangers of migration for refugees heading to Europe. Khaled Hosseini, an Afghan author and goodwill ambassador for UNHCR, warned that Europe has not learned from the shocking lessons of those images. He stated, 'Seeing the shocking images of Alan Kurdi broke my heart. Yet, only three years later, and with thousands more dying at sea, it seems our collective memory and the necessity for further action have faded.'