Number of migrant deaths in Med is highest since 2017 so far this year
The number of refugees and migrants who died trying to cross the Mediterranean Sea in the first half of 2023 was at the highest level since 2017, according to data presented by the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
In total, at least 1,874 people died or went missing in the first six months of the year, according to IOM figures. In the same period last year the number was 1,108. In 2017, at least 2,278 migrants drowned on the three Mediterranean sea routes, compared to 2,946 in 2016, according to the data. In total, at least 27,633 people have died on the Mediterranean sea routes since 2014. The agency stressed that the actual numbers are probably higher.
The worst tragedy so far this year was the sinking of a boat off the southern coast of Greece in May. Hundreds of people are believed to have died then, although the exact number is not known.