Shocking figures: 1 in 18 immigrants lost their lives in the Mediterranean Sea

Figures become known by U NHCR, where the situation is dramatic, compared to the same period in 2017, where 1 in 48 people lost their lives during crossing into the Mediterranean Sea.

In an interview for Reuters agency, special envoy U n NHCR for the central Mediterranean, Vincent Cochetel, named paradoxical figures, as even though fewer immigrants have tried to cross into the Mediterranean, the death rate has increased.

The number of deaths at sea has increased, about 1600 since the beginning of the year, which is paradoxical because we have fewer people crossing the sea, more dying. Traffickers are taking more risks. There are more interventions by Libyan coastal guards and we estimate that in 2017, one in 48 people trying to cross the central Mediterranean, died in the Mediterranean Sea, and this year, this percentage has changed dramatically, one in 18 persons”.

Cochetel requires more solidarity from Europe in terms of dealing with the immigrant crisis, which he says is manageable.

“Europe should be able to show supremacy, demonstrate example and solve the problem of those who land on European territory. Governments must act responsibly, tell citizens the truth. This is an manageable situation if managed. Just allowing people to get off the ship and not managing after landing is a problem. Governments must therefore be aware of this and must take decisive action”.

Between January and August 2017, 130 thousand and 400 people reached Europe across the Mediterranean and U The NHCR estimates that 4000 of them died.

And in the same period of 2018, there were 68 thousand immigrants, and 1600 of them died.