The United Nations Refugee Agency has announced that from the beginning of January to September 24, 2023, more than 2,500 refugees on their way through the Mediterranean Sea have either lost their lives or remain missing.
This year, 2,778 refugee deaths have been documented by the agency, underscoring the ongoing tragedy of the refugee crisis.
According to Ruven Menikdiwela, the head of the New York office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, approximately 186,000 migrants and refugees have entered Southern Europe this year, with the majority arriving in Italy.
This figure marks a significant increase compared to the number of fatalities and disappearances in the Mediterranean during a similar period in 2022, which stood at 2,680.
Menikdiwela further stated that from January to August 2023, more than 102,000 refugees and migrants attempted to reach Europe from Tunisia, an increase of 260% compared to the previous year. During the same period, over 45,000 people migrated from Libya along this route.
Around 31,000 people have been rescued at sea or landed in Tunisia after attempting the journey, while 10,600 have arrived in Libya.