According to the UN, almost 300 children and young people have died trying to escape across the Mediterranean this year. That’s twice as many as in the same period last year – and the number of unreported cases is high.
According to the UN, 289 minors died on the refugee routes across the Mediterranean in the first half of the year. That’s almost twice as many as in the same period of 2022, said the UN children’s fund UNICEF. From January to the end of June 2022, at least 150 minors perished on these escape routes.
“Chased by conflict and climate change, more and more children are putting their lives at risk by making the perilous route across the Mediterranean Sea to Europe,” said Verena Knaus, UNICEF’s Migration and Displacement Officer. The organization believes the true numbers are higher. Many boats sink with no survivors. The death of the inmates is therefore never registered.
UNICEF uses the term “children” to refer to any minor. There is no distinction between children and young people. In Germany, 13-year-olds are still children, from 14 to 18 birthday one speaks of young people.
Significantly more minors among refugees
UNICEF estimates that 11,600 minors were among those fleeing the Mediterranean routes in the first six months of this year, also nearly double the number of last year. Many of them are traveling without parents.
In addition, around 3,300 refugee children who traveled across the central Mediterranean in the first three months of this year were registered as unaccompanied or separated from their companions, according to UNICEF. This number is three times as high as in the same period last year.
Knaus criticized that too little was being done to save migrants. “Hundreds of girls and boys are dying during this inaction,” she said. UNICEF is therefore calling for expanded safe, legal and accessible pathways for children seeking protection in Europe.
The Mediterranean is considered one of the most dangerous escape routes in the world. There is no state-organized sea rescue, only private initiatives look out for refugees in need. According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), at least 1,895 people have died or disappeared during the crossing so far this year.