At Least 852 Migrants Dead or Missing in Three Months, EU Rights Agency Reports
An EU rights agency report indicates that at least 852 migrants have died or gone missing while attempting to reach Europe over the last three months. The data highlights the extreme risks associated with Mediterranean and Atlantic migration routes.
Why it matters
The report underscores the ongoing humanitarian crisis at European borders and the challenges of implementing the EU's new Migration and Asylum Pact.
The agency’s migration bulletin , published on 22 October, draws on International Organization for Migration data and examines the protection of people travelling through the Mediterranean and along the Atlantic route towards the Canary Islands.
The highest recorded number was on the West Africa–Atlantic route, with 283 deaths or disappearances. The Western Mediterranean accounted for 229, the Eastern Mediterranean for 199 and the Central Mediterranean for 141.
The findings come as the EU implements its Migration and Asylum Pact and governments face continuing scrutiny over rescue operations, border policing and the treatment of children.
The four route totals add up to 852. The overall figure is a minimum because some shipwrecks may go unreported and the identities or number of passengers can be difficult to establish.
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