Over 2,500 Migrants Have Drowned or Disappeared in Mediterranean Sea This Year, U.N. Reports

Migrants and refugees panic as they fall in the water during a rescue operation of the Top
ANDREAS SOLARO/AFP via Getty Images
Kurt Zindulka

More than 2,500 illegal boat migrants have drowned or have gone missing in the Mediterranean Sea since the start of the year, the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) revealed this week.

The U.N. agency has recorded 185,906 illegal migrants crossing the Mediterranean this year, with the vast majority setting sail on unseaworthy vessels supplied by people smuggling networks along the coasts of North Africa to countries such as Cyprus, Greece, Italy, Malta, and Spain.

At least 2,517 migrants have been recorded as drowning or having gone missing while attempting to make the often perilous journey since January. This is an increase from 1,680 dead or missing migrants recorded during the same time period in 2022, German public broadcaster Deutsche Welles reported.

The director of the UNHCR office in New York City, Ruven Menikdiwela, told the Security Council this week that migrants “risk death and gross human rights violations at every step.”

Menikdiwela noted that many more migrants perish in their attempts to reach the coasts of Libya or Tunisia on land from sub-Saharan African countries as they cross the desert, which she said “remains one of the world’s most dangerous” migrant routes. “Lives are also lost on land, away from public attention,” Menikdiwela said.

The UNHCR went on to say that over 102,000 migrants have attempted to cross the Mediterranean from Tunisia to Europe this year, an increase of 260 per cent over 2022.  In addition, more than 45,000 made the same journey from Libya. Menikdiwela reported that 31,000 migrants were rescued at sea or intercepted and disembarked in Tunisia, and another 10,600 were either rescued or disembarked setting sail from Libya.

It comes amid a growing dispute between Germany and Italy over Berlin’s funding of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) performing so-called “rescue” missions to transport migrants from the Mediterranean to Italian shores. Italy has been particularly hard hit with migrant influxes this year, with around 130,000 migrants landing on Italian coasts this year, an increase of 83 per cent over 2022.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni wrote to leftist German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, saying: “I have learned with astonishment that your administration — without coordinating with the Italian government — has allegedly decided to support with substantial funds non-governmental organizations engaged in the reception of irregular migrants on Italian territory and in rescues in the Mediterranean Sea.”

Earlier this month, Germany’s Foreign Ministry said that it has approved funding for two migrant “taxi” NGOs to the tune of between €400,000 ($425,000) and €800,000 each. The ministry said that rescuing migrants at sea was its “legal, humanitarian and moral duty.”

However, a report earlier this year from the Italian Department of Security Intelligence (DIS) found that such NGOs were in reality leading to more migrant deaths in the sea by incentivising their crossing and ultimately mainly serving to enrich people smuggling networks, which often only provide migrant boats with enough fuel to make it halfway across the Mediterranean on the belief that NGO boats will pick up the migrants and bring them to Europe.

“NGOs represent a logistical advantage for criminal organisations that manage the smuggling of migrants and expose disembarked people to a more concrete risk of shipwreck,” the DIS report stated.

This backed up previous reports from the European Union border agency Frontex, which has branded NGO migrant taxi boats as a “pull factor” for illegal immigration. The Italian government has also alleged that NGOs have worked directly with people smuggling networks to facilitate illegal crossings.

The issue was highlighted this week by Tesla chief Elon Musk, who questioned if the German public was aware that their tax money was being spent to facilitate migrant crossings. Responding, the German Foreign Office said: “Yes. And it’s called saving lives.”

“So you’re actually proud of it. Interesting,” Musk replied. “Frankly, I doubt that a majority of the German public supports this. Have you run a poll? Surely it is a violation of the sovereignty of Italy for Germany to transport vast numbers of illegal immigrants to Italian soil? Has invasion vibes.”

Follow Kurt Zindulka on Twitter: or e-mail to: kzindulka@breitbart.com

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