Eleven children die or go missing every day trying to cross the Mediterranean Sea, according to UNICEF

The agency calls for “more measures” to “establish safe and legal pathways for children to access asylum services”

July 14 () –

Around eleven children die or are reported missing every day trying to cross the dangerous migratory route of the central Mediterranean Sea to try to reach European coasts from North Africa, as denounced this Friday by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). .

The agency has indicated that it is estimated that at least 289 minors have died or disappeared trying to make this crossing so far this year, while it has stressed that an estimated 1,500 children have died or disappeared since 2018 trying to cross the central Mediterranean Sea. .

Thus, he has pointed out that this figure represents a fifth of the total of 8,274 people who have disappeared on this route during the last five years, according to the records of the Missing Migrants Project of the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

However, he has stressed that many of the shipwrecks end in the death of all people on board or are simply not recorded, which is why he has warned that the real number of child victims is practically impossible to verify and is probably much higher. .

Along these lines, he stressed that in recent months numerous children and babies have lost their lives on this route, on other routes that cross the Mediterranean and on the Atlantic route from West Africa, which includes the recent tragedies that occurred off the the coasts of Greece and the Spanish Canary Islands.

“In an attempt to find safety, reunite with family and seek a more hopeful future, large numbers of boys and girls embark on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea only to lose their lives or disappear along the way,” said the director. UNICEF executive Catherine Russell.

“This is a clear sign that more must be done to establish safe and legal pathways for children to access asylum services, while bolstering life-saving operations at sea,” she said. , while asserting that “ultimately, much more needs to be done to address the root causes that force children to risk their lives in the first place.”

On the other hand, UNICEF has indicated that, according to its calculations, 11,600 minors have arrived on the Italian coast since January 2023, which represents an average of 428 children per week, a figure that is more than double that registered in the same period of 2022. Most of them leave from Libya and Tunisia, after having made dangerous journeys from other countries in Africa and the Middle East.

In addition, it has detailed that during the first quarter of the year, 3,300 children were registered, 71 percent of the total that arrived in Europe through this route, as unaccompanied or separated from their parents or legal guardians, before adding that this exposes them to a greater risk of violence, exploitation and abuse, a situation even worse in the case of girls, who face greater dangers of suffering acts of violence before, during and after the trip.

RISKS AFTER COMPLETING THE JOURNEY

UNICEF has also pointed out that, although the central Mediterranean Sea has become one of the most dangerous routes for children, the risk of death during the journey is only one of the many risks they face, since they are also exposed to threats or acts of violence, lack of educational or future opportunities, raids and immigration detention or separation from their families.

In this way, the organization has regretted that the scarcity of ways that children have to move safely, the lack of access to protection in the countries through which they transit and the insufficiency and slowness of search and rescue operations aggravate these risks, for which reason it has called on governments to better protect minors at sea and in the countries of origin, transit and destination.

Among the measures requested are the protection of the rights and best interests of the child, in line with the obligations derived from national and international legislation; ensure safe and legal pathways for children to migrate and seek asylum, including expanding family reunification cases and the refugee resettlement quota; and strengthen the coordination of search and rescue operations and ensure rapid disembarkation in safe places.

UNICEF has also called for strengthening national child protection systems to better include and protect children exposed to exploitation and violence, particularly those who are unaccompanied, and improve the prospects for children in countries of origin. origin and transit addressing conflicts and climate risks and expanding the coverage of social protection and opportunities to learn and earn money.

Finally, it has asked to guarantee that children have access to information that allows them to make safe and informed decisions about their options and the dangers of crossing these sea lanes; as well as guarantee the learning of all refugee and immigrant children and offer them access to health and other essential services.