The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees recentely published data about immigration flows. In 2014, the Mediterranean Sea has become “the deadliest road in the world” for illegal migrants, trying to find exile in Europe.

At least 3,419 migrants died trying to cross in search of a better life. Since the beginning of the year, more than 207,000 migrants attempted this desperate travel. This data is almost three times higher than the previous record in 2011 when 70,000 migrants had fled their country during the Arab spring.

According to he High Commissioner for Refugees, this record is provoked by a combination of simultaneous conflicts which are pushing migrants to opt for crossing the Mediterranean from several regions such as Libya, Ukraine, east and south-east Syria and Iraq.

Approximately the 80% of departures are from the Libyan coast to reach Italy and Malta.

At the end of October, Italy has officially ended its rescue operation called Mare Nostrum and gave the reins over to Europe, even if it has still rescued in the last November 8000 illegal immigrants.

European operation, run by Frontex, is limited to surveillance of external borders of the EU: there no reference to any rescue actions.

UNHCR criticizes the EU policy based on the non-respect of asylum right.

 

Mattia Sozio