At least 289 children are estimated to have died or disappeared this year attempting to cross the perilous Central Mediterranean Sea migration route from North Africa to Europe, according to UNICEF. This equates to nearly eleven children dying or disappearing every week as they search for safety, peace and better opportunities.
Since 2018, UNICEF estimates around 1,500 children have died or gone missing while attempting the Central Mediterranean Sea crossing. This number accounts for 1 in 5 of the 8,274 people who have died or gone missing on the route, according to IOM’s Missing Migrant Project records.
Many shipwrecks on the Central Mediterranean Sea crossing leave no survivors or go unrecorded, making the true number of child casualties practically impossible to verify and likely much higher. In recent months, children and babies have been among those who have lost their lives on this route, on other routes across the Mediterranean and on the Atlantic route from West Africa, including the recent tragedies off the coasts of Greece and Spain’s Canary Islands.
“In attempts to find safety, reunite with family, and seek more hopeful futures too many children are boarding boats on the shores of the Mediterranean, only to lose their lives or go missing on the way,” said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell. “This is a clear sign that more must be done to create safe and legal pathways for children to access asylum, while strengthening efforts to rescue lives at sea. Ultimately, much more must be done to address the root causes that make children risk their lives in the first place.”
UNICEF estimates 11,600 children – an average of 428 children a week – arrived on the shores of Italy from North Africa since January 2023. This is a two-fold increase compared to the same period in 2022, despite the grave risks involved for children. The majority of children depart from Libya and Tunisia, having already made dangerous journeys from countries across Africa and the Middle East.
In the first three months of 2023, 3,300 children – 71 percent of all children arriving to Europe via this route – were recorded as unaccompanied or separated from parents or legal guardians, putting them at a greater risk of violence, exploitation and abuse. Girls travelling alone are especially likely to experience violence before, during and after their journeys.
The Central Mediterranean Sea has become one of the most dangerous routes travelled by children. However, the risk of death at sea is just one of many tragedies these children face – from threats or experiences of violence, lack of educational or future opportunities, raids and immigration detention or separation from family. These risks are further compounded by limited pathways for children to move safely, lack of access to protection in countries along the way, and insufficient and slow search and rescue operations.
UNICEF is also calling on the European Union to ensure the above are reflected in the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum, which is under negotiation.
UNICEF continues its work to support countries in strengthening national child protection, social protection and migration and asylum systems to prevent and mitigate risks children face as they move and provide support and inclusive services to all children, regardless of their or their parents’ legal status.
