Migrant deaths at sea double, reveals International Organisation for Migration

Official figures from the International Organization for Migration (IOM) show that death rates recorded at sea from persons attempting to get into Europe clandestinely are more than double as compared to those recorded same time last year.

The IOM Yesterday reported that at least 1,146 persons have perished in the sea in the first six months of 2021 as compared to the 513 documented to have died this same time in 2020, and 674 in the first half of 2019.

“Civilian search-and-rescue organisations continue to face significant obstacles to their operations, with the majority of their boats blocked at European ports due to administrative seizures and ongoing criminal and administrative proceedings against crew members,” the IOM said.

Amongst the different routes into the European continent, the Central Mediterranean route between Libya and Italy was the deadliest as it claimed at least 741 lives.

Next was the stretch of the Atlantic Ocean between West Africa and Spain’s Canary Islands, where at least 250 people died, the agency said.

At least 149 people also died on the Western Mediterranean route to Spain, as well as at least six on the Eastern Mediterranean route to Greece.

According to Aljazeera, the IOM says the increase in death toll of migrants on the sea comes as a result of the increase in interceptions of migrants boats from Libya especially.

Mimi Mefo Info