More than 3,000 migrants drowned on the road to a better life

The UN today announced that more than 3,000 Immigrants they lost their lives at sea last year, trying to reach Europe.

“Of the total, 1,924 have died or been reported missing across the central and western Mediterranean, while 1,153 have died or are reported missing crossing from southwest Africa to the Canary Islands,” she said. of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees Sambia Mantou.

In 2020, the deaths recorded on these two channels amounted to 1,544. “What is worrying is that since the beginning of the year, an additional 478 people have lost their lives at sea or are missing,” he added.

Pandemic and migration flows

According to the UNHCR, the Covid pandemic and the closure of the border that accompanied it had consequences for migratory flowsas many people turned to traffickers in their attempt, despite the difficult conditions, to reach Europe, reports APE-MPE, citing AFP and Reuters.

Sambia Mantou insisted that most crossings are operated by overloaded and poorly inflatable boats, which often deflate or sink during the voyage, which can take up to ten days, starting from the west coast of Africa and headed to the Canary Islands.

Many of these boats are diverted or disappear without a trace, said a UNHCR spokeswoman.

Source: News Beast

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