The journey across the Mediterranean from Libya or Tunisia to Europe is the most dangerous migrant route in the world, according to the United Nations International Organization for Migration. Here's a look at the situation in the Mediterranean and some details of the latest tragedy.
A boat full of migrants capsized near Greece on Wednesday. Photo: ABC News
What happened?
Greek coast guard, navy, merchant ships and aircraft launched a large-scale search and rescue operation after a fishing boat carrying migrants capsized and sank early Wednesday morning, about 75 km southwest of the southern Peloponnese peninsula.
So far, 79 bodies have been recovered and 104 people have been rescued. It is unclear how many people are missing, but some initial reports suggest that hundreds may have been on board. This could be the deadliest shipwreck of the year.
The Greek coast guard said the boat had refused several offers of assistance from both the coast guard and merchant vessels a day earlier. The agency said in a statement that the ship's captain "wished to continue to Italy."
However, Alarm Phone, a network of activists who run a hotline for migrant boats in distress, said passengers reported that the captain had abandoned the ship for a small boat before the boat capsized.
Many migrants try to bypass Greece and reach Italy, where they can easily continue their journey north. If migrants are rescued by Greek authorities, they will have to travel through the Balkans to reach Western or Northern Europe. The route north from Italy is shorter and often more accessible.
Greece's migration policy
Most migrants arriving in Greece travel from Türkiye, reaching nearby eastern Greek islands in small boats or across the Evros River that runs along the land border.
Such crossings have fallen sharply in recent years as Greece has stepped up maritime patrols and built a border fence along the Evros. But the country has faced accusations from migrants, human rights groups and Turkish officials that it has turned back asylum seekers, a claim Athens has repeatedly denied.
Alarm Phone blamed Greece’s migration policy for the sinking, saying Athens had become “Europe’s shield” to stop migration. The Greek coastguard said it accompanied the ship even after it was refused assistance and then launched a search and rescue operation after the boat capsized.
Migration trends in the Mediterranean
Italy has seen an “unusually high” number of migrants arriving in Europe this year, with 55,160 so far. That’s more than double the 21,884 arrivals in the same period in 2022 and 16,737 in 2021. The migrants are mainly from Ivory Coast, Egypt, Guinea, Pakistan and Bangladesh, according to Italian Interior Ministry data.
The route and location of the capsized boat carrying migrants in the Mediterranean Sea on Wednesday. Graphic photo: AP
The increase comes as UN refugee officials note that the overall number of migrants trying to reach Europe this way is falling, averaging around 120,000 a year.
In addition to the deadly Central Mediterranean route, the Western Mediterranean route is also used by migrants trying to reach Spain from Morocco or Algeria. The Eastern Mediterranean route is traditionally used by migrants from Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, who would go to Türkiye and then try to reach Greece or other destinations in Europe.
How dangerous is the Mediterranean?
Even before Wednesday’s accident, at least 1,039 people were reported missing while attempting to cross the Mediterranean this year. The real number is believed to be many times higher, as some shipwrecks are likely to have gone unaccounted for. Overall, the International Organization for Migration has counted more than 27,000 migrants missing in the Mediterranean since 2014.
On April 18, 2015, the deadliest shipwreck in the Mediterranean occurred when an overcrowded boat carrying migrants collided off the coast of Libya with a cargo ship trying to rescue them. Only 28 people survived. Forensic experts concluded in 2018 that there were 1,100 migrants on board.
On October 3, 2013, a fishing boat carrying more than 500 people, mostly from Eritrea and Ethiopia, caught fire and capsized off the southern Italian island of Lampedusa. Local fishermen rushed to the rescue. 155 people survived the accident, while 368 died.
Another shipwreck occurred just a week later on October 11, 2013, off the southern Italian island of Lampedusa. Up to 60 children were among the more than 260 people who died in this heartbreaking incident linked to migrant trafficking in the Mediterranean Sea.
Quoc Thien (according to AP, ABC)
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