UN: Over Two Thousand Migrants Have Drowned in the Mediterranean This Year

The United Nations stated on Tuesday, November 6, that more than two thousand migrants have lost their lives while crossing the Mediterranean Sea since the beginning of this year, with Italy being the destination for half of the victims. Charlie Yaxley, spokesperson for the UN Refugee Agency, said, "In recent days, after the discovery of 17 bodies on the shores of Spain, the number of migrants who have drowned in the Mediterranean this year has surpassed two thousand." According to him, approximately 105,000 migrants and refugees have entered Europe this year, a decrease compared to the period before 2014. However, the number of people who have drowned indicates that deaths in the Mediterranean have significantly increased relative to the number of people crossing this route. He added, "The UN Refugee Agency has repeatedly called for serious actions to be taken regarding this situation. The Mediterranean Sea has become the most dangerous maritime route for migrants and refugees for years, and this should be unacceptable for everyone." Jules Milman, spokesperson for the International Organization for Migration, stated that this is the fifth consecutive year that the number of migrants coming to Europe via this route has exceeded 100,000. However, he noted that in previous years, the number of migrants crossed the 100,000 threshold much earlier. In 2014 and 2017, the number of migrants arriving in Europe via the Mediterranean reached 100,000 in July, while in 2015 it crossed that number in June and in 2016 in February. This year, the main destination for migrants and refugees crossing the Mediterranean has been Spain, which has accepted over 49,000 individuals so far. Greece, with approximately 27,000, and Italy, with about 22,000, follow in the rankings. However, according to the International Organization for Migration, about 1,260 of those who drowned were headed to Italy. Many migrants travel from North Africa to the southern shores of Europe in unsafe boats carrying many passengers. The spokesperson for the UN Refugee Agency added, "We are deeply concerned about the legal restrictions and movements of charitable and humanitarian organizations that operate in search and rescue of migrants in the Mediterranean waters." One of the entities affected by these restrictions is the Aquarius ship, which operates under the auspices of Doctors Without Borders and the Mediterranean Rescue Network. In this context, Amnesty International stated that the increase in deaths of migrants in the Mediterranean is a result of EU policies. Dozens of migrants have been killed in the waters of Yemen by human traffickers. The Libyan government is investigating 'slave trade' in the country.