GENEVA: About 100 migrants have died or disappeared in the Mediterranean since the start of 2024, more than double the toll reported last year during the same period, the UN migration agency announced.
The announcement was made during an Italy-Africa Conference in Rome attended by many African leaders and European Union officials to discuss economic relations and ways to control undocumented migration to Europe.
Amy Pope, director general of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said that the latest record of deaths and disappearances is a blunt reminder that an inclusive approach that includes safe and regular pathways… is the only solution that will help migrants and nations alike.
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IOM found that around 3,041 migrants were dead or went missing in the Mediterranean Sea in 2023— a significant rise over the 2,411 tolls in the year 2022.
Earlier this month, around 40 Tunisian migrants went missing following setting off in a ship toward the Italian coast.
Tunisia has replaced Libya as a major departure point for Mediterranean crossings for migrants fleeing conflict and poverty.
