2,275 people died crossing the Mediterranean in 2018 - UNHCR

Imprimer

Geneva, Switzerland, February 1st  (Infosplusgabon) - Despite a drop in the number of clandestine migrants to Europe, a total of 2,275 people died in the Mediterranean in 2018 trying to reach European shores, a report held from the UNHCR Thursday said.

 

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) report entitled '' Journey of Despair'' states that about 140,000 refugees and migrants arrived in Europe last year, the lowest number recorded in the last five years.

 

The majority of these people arrived in Spain, followed by Greece and Italy, said the report.

 

UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Garandi said relief operations for migrants off the sea were neither a choice nor a political issue but a genuine commitment.

 

According to him, it is possible to put an end to this tragedy, thanks to courage and a vision that turns the eye to the next boat and thanks to the adoption of a long-term option based on regional cooperation that highlights the human life and dignity.

 

The UNHCR report highlights how changes introduced in the policies adopted by some European countries have caused several accidents, leaving many migrants or refugees at sea for several days, waiting for the authorization of their boats to dock.

 

Vessels of non-governmental organizations and their volunteer crews conducting search and rescue operations have also been severely restricted by these same countries, the report adds.

 

According to the figures provided by the report, one in 14 people who passed through Libya to reach Europe died, representing a significant increase in comparison with the rates of the year 2017.

 

Thousands of others have been brought back to Libya where they have faced terrifying conditions inside detention centers.

 

The UNHCR report said the successful arrival in Europe was for many people "the end of a nightmarish journey" in which they suffered torture, rape and sexual assault and kidnappings by kidnappers who demanded ransom.

 

The UNHCR called on all countries to take urgent measures to dismantle traffickers' networks and bring them to justice.

 

 

 

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