Seventeen people have been found dead off the Spanish coast making a total of 2,160 people, according to UN figures, that have died trying to cross the Mediterranean this year since the start of the year. Another 17 are said to be missing in what is the worst tragedy in the straits of Gibraltar since 2009, when 10 migrants died in a shipwreck. Spain says they have found a total of 100 survivors from 2 boats, the majority of whom originate from North Africa, 13 of whom are minors. Overall 596 migrants have died trying to reach Spain this year.
Around 100,000 asylum seekers and migrants have reached Europe so far this year which is an overall decrease in the number of migrants attempting to get to Europe. However, the number of those that have died on the way has increased sharply. A total of nearly 54,000 migrants have entered Europe this year through Spain, a country that has now become the new main entry point for refugees fleeing Africa; just under 50 percent of all 2018 arrivals have been through Spain. Proximity is one of the main reasons for choosing this route; it is at this point at the Strait of Gibraltar that the continents of Europe and Africa are only 14 kilometers (8.7 miles) apart.
Why are so many people dying at sea?
Charlie Yaxley, spokesperson from the UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, has suggested that the dramatic reduction in the number of search and rescue (SAR) services is a clear cause of the rapid rise of the number of refugees dying at sea. In September 2018, one life was lost for every eight people who crossed.
In his statement of 6 November Yaxley said,
‘UNHCR continues to be very concerned about the legal and logistical restrictions that have been placed on a number of NGOs wishing to conduct search and rescue (SAR) operations, including the Aquarius. These have had the cumulative effect of the Central Mediterranean currently having no NGO vessels conducting SAR.’
Another reason suggested for the increase in migrant deaths in the Mediterranean is Europe’s increasingly unfriendly policies towards migrants. A report from Reuters of July 2018 said that as the EU struggles to contain dissent over migration policy, some officials in Brussels say they worry that Spain could become a new flash-point, even as overall numbers of arrivals into Europe from Africa are in sharp decline.
An example of such dissent over migration is Italy; a country that has taken several steps to limit access to migrants and refugees, including turning boats away. In September 2018 Italy’s far-right interior minister, Matteo Salvini, submitted a draft decree that Italian bishops have criticised as a bid to ‘criminalise asylum seekers.’ In his time as interior minister, Salvini has also blocked NGO rescue ships from Italian ports in an attempt to cut the number of migrants arriving in the country by sea.
On issuing the decree in September, that has now been passed through Italy’s Senate, Salvini said,
“The ultimate aim is to have no refugees at all in Italy through a combination of efforts: closure of seaports, criminalising migrant rescue NGOs, enhancing collaboration with the coastguard and now, with this decree, they target those who are already here, or who may come in future and not get any kind of protection – it is a deterrent measure.”
Not just Syrians
The Institute of Migration in Italy released data that shows the country of origin of those who arrived by boat. In 2018 Tunisia represented the largest number of migrants with almost 5,000 arrivals originating from the North African state. Additionally, the second and third highest countries of origin were Eritrea and Sudan, demonstrating a change in the demographic of migrant arrivals to Europe, as well as dispelling any myth perpetuated by right wing groups about the number of Syrian refugees coming to Europe.
Response to the situation
The UNHCR “has called repeatedly for urgent action to address this situation,” said Charlie Yaxley.
He continued,
“The Mediterranean has for several years been the world’s deadliest sea route for refugees and migrants. That it continues to be so should be unacceptable to all.”
The UNHCR also ‘reiterates its call for the international community to address the root causes of displacement and drivers of onward movement that are forcing people to take increasingly dangerous and perilous journeys.’
IOHR participated in the Global Migration Conversations on Monday 5 November, an event organised by the London International Development Centre – Migration Leadership Team. IOHR’s journalist and TV producer Margherita Cargasacchi took part and conducted a Storytelling workshop. Margherita said,
“Participating in the Global Migration Conversations has been a great opportunity to understand how different sectors can partner together and exchange knowledge on different forms of migration and on how we can make a positive contribution to society. I discovered the journey of a teenager escaping from his country through a video made by PositiveNegatives. Indeed, every year 2500 children arrive on their own to Britain, escaping from war and violence, and 2000 people have lost their lives in the Mediterranean since January 2018. Faced with these facts, journalists need to consider a formula that does not focus on numbers over people, and we must combine facts with humanity.”