The migrant death toll in the Mediterranean on the Libya-Europe route rose sharply in 2018, from one death per 38 arrivals in 2017 to one death per 14 arrivals last year, according to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) in its report titled "Desperate Journeys."
The number of migrants that died in the central Mediterranean went down by more than half in 2018 in comparison to 2017, but the death toll at sea rose significantly on routes from Libya to Europe, according to a report by the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) titled "Desperate Journeys."
The report said the death toll rose from one death per 38 arrivals in 2017 to one death per 14 arrivals in 2018. The death toll was particularly severe in the western Mediterranean on the route to Spain, where the number of deaths quadrupled in 2018 compared to 2017.
Due to increased Libyan coast guard activity, 85 percent of migrants rescued or intercepted at sea in the so-called Libyan Region of Search and Rescue (SRR) were brought to Libya, where they faced "appalling conditions inside detention centres," the report said. As a result, a higher number of migrant boats have tried to avoid the Libyan SRR and the Libyan coast guard by taking a route towards Malta or Italy.
World's deadliest sea crossing
The report said refugees and migrants attempting to reach Europe via the Mediterranean Sea lost their lives at an alarming rate in 2018. Cuts in search and rescue operations reinforced the Mediterranean in its position as the world's deadliest sea crossing. It said an estimated 2,275 died or went missing crossing the Mediterranean in 2018, despite a major drop in the number of arrivals reaching European shores.
In total, 139,300 refugees and migrants arrived in Europe, the lowest number in five years. "Saving lives at sea is not a choice, nor a matter of politics, but an age-old obligation," said Filippo Grandi, UN High Commissioner for Refugees. "We can put an end to these tragedies by having the courage and vision to look beyond the next boat, and adopt a long-term approach based on regional cooperation, that places human life and dignity at its core."
"Policies have caused incidents"
The report describes how shifts in policy by some European states saw numerous incidents where large numbers of people were left stranded at sea for days on end, waiting for permission to dock. NGO boats and their crews faced growing restrictions on their search and rescue operations.
The report also reveals significant changes in the routes being used by refugees and migrants. For the first time in recent years, Spain became the primary entry point to Europe as around 8,000 arrived by land (through the enclaves in Ceuta and Melilla) and a further 54,800 people arrived after crossing over the perilous Western Mediterranean.