New data reveals that refugees and migrants face violence, abuse, and death on routes across Africa

    Aid workers from the UN migration agency IOM provide assistance to migrants who have been returned to shore in Libya after trying to cross the sea to Europe.

Abuse along the route

    Vincent Cochetel, UNHCR Special Envoy for the Western and Central Mediterranean, emphasized that migrants and refugees face serious human rights violations and abuse along their routes, regardless of their status. He stressed the importance of maintaining outrage at such violence. It is estimated that more people cross the Sahara desert than the Mediterranean Sea, and deaths of refugees and migrants in the desert are believed to be twice as high as those at sea. The report titled “On this journey, no-one cares if you live or die” covers a three-year data collection period and warns of an increase in the number of individuals attempting these dangerous land crossings.

Laurence Hart, IOM Director of the Coordination Office for the Mediterranean, pointed out that the central Mediterranean migration route remains one of the deadliest in the world. He noted that a very high number of people still risk embarking on these perilous journeys. Many do not choose to move voluntarily but are forced to due to political conflict and instability.

Push factors

So-called push factors on the migration route include the worsening situations in both countries of origin and host countries, such as new conflicts in the Sahel and Sudan, the devastating impact of climate change and disasters on new and ongoing emergencies in the East and Horn of Africa, as well as racism and xenophobia towards refugees and migrants.

The report notes that huge gaps in protection and assistance along the Central Mediterranean route are pushing refugees and migrants to continue on dangerous journeys.

Bram Frouws, Director of MMC, highlighted a recent increase in deaths on the Atlantic route to the Canary Islands, stating, “Just last week, we heard that 5,000 people died on the Atlantic route to the Canary Islands in the first five months of this year - that's an increase of 700 per cent compared to the same period last year.” He also pointed out the difficulty in obtaining accurate numbers, acknowledging that the actual death toll on land routes to the Mediterranean coast is likely underestimated and could be even higher than at sea.

Insufficient efforts

Despite the international community's commitments to save lives and address vulnerabilities, the report's authors warned that current efforts to hold those responsible for the abuse and dangers faced by migrants and refugees are inadequate.

Bram Frouws emphasized that while criminal groups and traffickers are often responsible for severe abuses, "State officials, like police, military, and border guards" also play a role. He stressed that "whoever they are, whichever category, they should be held accountable. But at the moment, much of this is happening in a situation of near complete impunity."

The report noted that smuggling routes are shifting towards more remote areas to avoid active conflict zones or border controls by State and non-State actors, subjecting people on the move to even greater risks.

The types of abuse reported include torture, physical violence, arbitrary detention, death, kidnapping for ransom, sexual violence and exploitation, enslavement, human trafficking, forced labor, organ removal, robbery, collective expulsions, and refoulement.

Stepping up life-saving protection

The report indicated that support and access to justice for survivors of various forms of abuse are rarely available along the routes, citing inadequate funding and restrictions on humanitarian access, particularly in key locations such as informal detention centers and holding facilities.

Despite these challenges, UNHCR, IOM, and partners, including NGOs and several governments, have increased life-saving protection services and assistance, as well as identification and referral mechanisms along the routes. However, they emphasize that humanitarian action alone is not enough.

IOM’s Laurence Hart highlighted the importance of regularizing or legalizing migrants in transit countries if needed, and in European countries responding to the need for talent and manpower. He noted, “Opening up regular channels is indeed not the silver bullet, but certainly an enabler. Another element, another pillar, on which migration governance hinges on.”