For the sixth year in a row, over 1,000 people died in the Mediterranean in a year

At least 1,246 people drowned or went missing at the Mediterranean Sea while attempting to reach Europe in 2019, in the three main Mediterranean Sea routes till December 11, according to a report issued by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) on December 13. This year, IOM recorded that 104,644 migrants and refugees have entered Europe by sea (through December 11). It means a decrease of 6% compared to last year’s arrivals (110,851).

It is the sixth year in a row that the “1,000” bleak milestone has been reached, said the United Nations in October, quoted by Reuters. More than 11,500 people have drowned or disappeared at sea in three years. The Mediterranean Sea continues to be the deadliest route for immigrants in the world, followed by the US-Mexican border, where 350 people died, Sub-Saharan Africa, where at least 323 migrants died and North Africa, with 319 deaths.

In total, in the world, at least 3,123 people have this year trying to achieve a better life, according to the sixth edition of the Missing Migrants Projects of IOM, which systematically records deaths on migration routes worldwide. Since IOM started the Missing Migrants Project five years ago, in 2014, they have recorded the deaths of 34,285 people.