While armed conflicts all over the world are increasing, people fleeing war are being killed at sea by the very countries that they are trying to reach to seek safety.
1st of April: 20 people dead.
8th of April: 82 people dead.
18th of April: 40 people dead.
Numbers keep appearing on our screens. But they are not just numbers. Each one of them is a person, with a family, a life, and a dream lost at sea in their last effort to achieve it.
Since the beginning of 2026 over 1,000 people have been reported dead or missing in the Mediterranean Sea alone. We know that this number is much higher. Although the crossings have reduced, the number of people losing their lives at sea is increasing.
Migration routes have shifted over the years. Following an increase in border control, people attempt to cross from other places, often taking more dangerous routes. But the danger is not limited to the sea. The dangers are broad. From the so-called Libyan Coast Guard – financed by the EU – which kills people in the Central Mediterranean; to the Greek Coast Guard in the Aegean, which pushes people back to Turkish waters, abandoning them adrift in unmanned boats; to European governments which apply deadly migration policies, detaining civil search-and-rescue ships, and fail to conduct sea rescue themselves.
While writing these words, more people are risking their lives on dangerous journeys. Our thoughts are with them, and with all of those that are looking for a family member or friend who went missing while trying to cross.
We will continue to remember them. We will continue to denounce the deadly practices against People on the Move. And we will continue to stand in solidarity with those risking their lives to seek safety.
