UN warns migrant deaths soaring on land routes to Europe

Merzouga sand dunes at sunset in the Sahara desert, Morocco.

The United Nations and partner organizations have issued a stark warning about the dangers faced by migrants and refugees traveling northward through Africa towards the Mediterranean Sea.

Their report, released on Friday, highlights the brutality of these land routes, which are estimated to be twice as deadly as the already perilous sea crossings across the Mediterranean.

The study by the UN refugee agency (UNHCR), the International Organization for Migration (IOM), and the Mixed Migration Centre research group paints a grim picture.

Conflict, instability, and economic hardship in countries like Mali, Burkina Faso, and Sudan are pushing people to flee, with many aiming to reach Europe. However, their journeys are fraught with danger.

The report details widespread human rights abuses at the hands of criminal gangs, including enslavement, organ removal, rape, and kidnapping.

While the exact number of deaths on these African land routes remains unknown, the report cites a disturbing trend. The number of refugees and asylum seekers in Tunisia, a key transit country, has more than tripled between 2020 and 2023.

This surge coincides with harrowing accounts from survivors who describe being abandoned in the desert by smugglers or left to die after falling ill.

UNHCR special envoy Vincent Cochetel emphasizes the gravity of the situation.

“Everyone that has crossed the Sahara can tell you of people they know who died in the desert,” he stated, contrasting this with the lower reported death toll on the Mediterranean route.

The report calls for a more robust international response to address the “huge gaps” in protection and assistance available to migrants and refugees undertaking these perilous journeys.

While the Mediterranean crossing claimed over 3,100 lives in 2023, the true death toll on land routes is believed to be significantly higher, with estimates exceeding 1,180 fatalities between 2020 and May 2024.

The report also highlights a rise in sexual violence, kidnapping, and organ removal compared to a similar study conducted in 2020.

Libya, a key transit point for migrants, has become a hotspot for these abuses.

The discovery of a mass grave containing at least 65 migrants in the Libyan desert earlier this year serves as a grim reminder of the dangers faced by those attempting to reach Europe.

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