UN agencies urge Security Council to end ‘mass graves of migrants’
“The scale of this tragedy, its impact on survivors, families and communities, and how often we see deaths in transit. constitutes an unacceptable and entirely solvable humanitarian crisis,” Pär Liljert, director of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) United Nations Office, refers to one of the world’s most dangerous routes for migrants and refugees, as they try to reach European Union countries.
In 2023, he said, IOM recorded 8,542 migrant deaths globally – the highest since it began collecting this data in 2014 – with 37% of these deaths occurs in the Mediterranean.
Echoing that message, Sivanka Dhanapala, who directs the New York office of the United Nations refugee agency, UNCHR, told the Council that the tragedies of lives lost on sea and land routes continued custom”there is no end point”.
he said UNHCR has registered more than 350,000 refugees and asylum seekers this year, many of them Sudanese refugees, seeking protection in North Africa.
From January to August, more than 134,000 refugees and migrants departed by sea from North and West Africa to Europe, a 24% decrease compared to last year.
As of September 17, the IOM Missing Migrants Project reported that 1,450 people were presumed dead or missing during the crossing, a 44% decrease from 2023, he said. adding that in Libya, more than 97,000 Sudanese refugees arrived last year. , with 300 to 400 people continuing to arrive daily as the recent conflict in Sudan has caused many to flee.
Although numbers may be down, concerns remain, he continued.
Lack of protection, safety and shelter
Mr. Dhanapala said there has been no improvement in access to protection along key routes with an increase in challenges related to access to territory and asylum, as evidenced by the increase mass arrests and deportations.
A report by the United Nations refugee agency highlights major gaps in access to protection and humanitarian assistance along the routes and that those traveling face a high risk of death, gender-based violence, kidnapping for ransom, human trafficking, looting and other physical violence, he said, citing a report from a United Nations refugee agency. new joint report by UNHCR, IOM and the Joint Migration Center.
To remedy this dire situation, he made a series of recommendations, including that human rights protections must be maintained, increased access to protection, prosecution of smugglers and increased search Search and rescue at sea.
“Saving lives at sea and providing humanitarian assistance is one of humanity’s most basic obligationsand those who carry out rescue or assistance operations in good faith should not be fined to do so,” he said, adding that efforts must focus on integration, resettlement and additional pathways for refugees and migrants while addressing the root causes.
IOM: Conflict among the main drivers
IOM’s Mr. Liljert said the main drivers were economic reasons (44%), war and conflict (29%) and the desire to escape personal or targeted violence (26%), according to the matrix displacement monitoring (DTM) of this agency. ) data from 2023 and 2024.
Compounding these difficulties are the devastation caused by natural disasters, exacerbated by climate change, as well as challenges in host countries, he said, citing Libya as an example.
Nearly 70% of migrants IOM interviewed in Libya in June and July said high food prices were the main shock experienced before leaving the country while 63% cited low or falling daily wages. .
At the same time, the United Nations Independent Fact-Finding Mission in Libya found that the country was not considered a safe place to land, with reports of human rights abuses, including detention, torture, and torture. torture and human trafficking.
Roads are increasingly dangerous
Mr. Liljert said migrants were pursuing even more dangerous routes to reach Europe, evident in the sharp increase in arrivals on the West Africa Atlantic route.
He warned that the international community should not allow the Sahara Desert and the Mediterranean Sea to “continue to become mass graves for migrants”, and called for ensuring search and rescue operations focus more strongly on saving lives.
“We must go beyond reactive measures…with a comprehensive approach that addresses the adverse dynamics of irregular migration,” he said, strongly encouraging the expansion of humanitarian pathways for those seeking refuge safe haven, including temporary protection licenses, private sponsorship and family reunification, among others.
“By adopting these measures, we can not only reduce the enormous human suffering associated with illegal migration but also create sustainable, long-term solutions,” he said. long term to promote peace, stability and shared responsibility.
