No end in sight

Refugees and migrants moving irregularly to North Africa and Europe face unspeakable horrors along Mediterranean routes

UNHCR, The UN Refugee Agency

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The Mediterranean Situation

During the first quarter of 2022, more than 18,000 refugees and migrants crossed the Mediterranean to reach Europe. Altogether, 2.3 million have taken this same journey in the past eight years.

In 2014, more than 200,000 refugees and migrants moved from East and West Africa to North Africa and onwards to Europe’s shores. The scale of movement peaked in 2015, with over 1 million refugees and migrants arriving in Europe.

In 2016, the number of individuals arriving to Europe dropped below 400,000 and continued to gradually decrease in the following years, hitting a low at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

Low arrivals during the pandemic are likely associated with measures to prevent the spread of the virus, such as border closures, and the negative impact of the coronavirus crisis on global remittances from diaspora communities.

Despite measures implemented in 2020, smugglers have quickly adapted to offer alternative ways of bypassing official controls. Since 2021, flows have once again started to increase, with figures suggesting an upward trend.

Between 2014 and 2021, over 24,400 people have lost their lives or gone missing trying to cross the Mediterranean Sea. Many others have suffered unspeakable violations of their human rights - at a scale likely higher and more severe than the already alarming estimates. This is a widespread, longstanding and largely overlooked tragedy.

Why do people move?

Although some of those crossing the Mediterranean are searching for a better life and economic opportunities, many are seeking safety from conflict, violence or persecution. The most common countries of origin for people moving along Mediterranean routes include those affected by years of conflict and displacement, where human rights abuses are not uncommon, and some of the largest refugee and internal displacement crises due to conflict are in the East and Horn of Africa.

Swipe the arrows on the map left and right to see the countries of origin of largest displaced populations in the region and click on the circles to find out the exact figures. Internally displaced populations are on the left hand side of the map, in green, while refugee populations are on the right hand side, in blue.

As of 2021, Ethiopia features among the top 10 internal displacement crises worldwide, while Eritrea is among the top 10 refugee crises and Somalia, South Sudan and Sudan appear among the top 10 for both types of crises.

The Central Mediterranean Route: From the East and Horn of Africa to the Mediterranean Sea

Refugees and migrants moving from the East and Horn of Africa region to Libya, Egypt and Tunisia all transit through Sudan, often arriving in the eastern towns of Gedaref and Kassala, before moving onwards to Khartoum. They largely come from Eritrea, Ethiopia and Somalia.

From Khartoum, groups usually head north to towns such as Dongola or Al Dabba in northern Sudan from where they prepare to cross to Libya or Egypt. Refugees and migrants are usually entirely dependent on smugglers to cross the Sahara Desert.

From Libya and Tunisia, many attempt to cross the sea, most often towards Italy or Malta.

Dangers along the way

On top of threats suffered in their home countries, people fleeing countries in the East and Horn of Africa often face physical abuses and severe protection risks along the way. The 4Mi surveys conducted by Mixed Migration Center reveal the incidents witnessed and risks perceived by people on the move, focusing on physical and sexual violence, kidnapping, and death.

Abuses are widespread along land routes – most commonly in Sudan, Somalia, Djibouti, Eritrea and Ethiopia, as well as in the Sahara Desert. Libya is where the overwhelming majority of risks and incidents are reported, and many refugees and migrants are detained or held by traffickers.

Captivity or detention in Libya may last two years or more and are often associated with further abuses such as gender-based violence, forced labour and extortion. In 2021, and the first quarter of 2022, some 165 trafficking and smuggling incidents were reported as having occurred in Libya and Sudan, relating to an estimated 7,000 people.

Tekelberhan's story

Teklebrhan escaped Eritrea twice. Like many Eritreans who had left before him, he was unwilling to serve indefinite military service. Leaving Eritrea, he had heard of the deaths at sea, but never of the dangers along the land route.

"I thought that all accidents happen at sea and a capsizing ship is the only problem to face on such a journey. The accidents are back there in the Sahara. The Sahara is full of Eritrean bodies.”

In Libya he faced hunger, disease, and lack of medical attention while in captivity. Teklebrhan described the places he was held as ‘Houses of Death’ and ‘Human Stores’ where every day a body had to be moved.

Ali Bashi's story

Twenty-two-year-old Ali grew up in a small-town in central Somalia, until his father heard an announcement at the mosque that a militant group would recruit boys of Ali's age for military training.

Ali left his village in 2016, relying on smugglers, through Kenya to South Sudan, Sudan, and eventually to Libya . In Libya, he was held by three traffickers at different times in the notorious north-western town of Bani Walid.

"I never thought I'd be able to get out of Libya. I truly believed I was going to die" - Ali Bashi, from Somalia, speaks about his days as a captive in Libya."

Those who survive and attempt a sea crossing are often abandoned by their smugglers, while others are intercepted and returned to Libya where they are detained. Each year, thousands perish or go missing at sea without a trace.

The absence of systems to document abuses and loss of life, particularly along the land routes, makes it difficult to determine the scale of the problem and how it might be prevented. Yet some work is underway to mitigate risks as highlighted below.

Risk mitigation strategy

Following the establishment within UNHCR of the Office of the Special Envoy for the Central Mediterranean Situation in order to strengthen UNHCR’s response along the routes, UNHCR launched its Central Mediterranean Risk Mitigation Strategy in 2017, with updates released in June 2019, 2021 and more recently, in April 2022.

See below some examples of UNHCR's response and engagement in risk mitigation in the East and Horn of Africa and North Africa or click here to read the latest strategy document. Past appeal documents are also available below.

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Battling human trafficking

UNHCR is currently co-chairing the three Counter Trafficking and Mixed Migration Working Groups with IOM. In 2021 the Sudan National Action Plan to Combat Human Trafficking was launched and the first steps towards its implementation were taken.

Ensuring inclusion for children

In Egypt, UNHCR continues to work closely with UNICEF, IOM and the National Council for Childhood and Motherhood (NCCM) on the implementation of the "Children on the Move" standard operating procedures, which foster “quality inclusion” of refugee children in the national child protection system.

Getting the most vulnerable to safety

UNHCR continues to support the evacuation of refugees from Libya through its Emergency Transit Mechanisms (ETM) in Niger and Rwanda. This effort aims to complement direct resettlement from Libya.

Promoting safety at sea

UNHCR has continuously advocated to prevent dangerous delays in rescue of boats in distress, provide safe disembarkation and ensure dignified treatment of those disembarked.

Telling the Real Story

The Telling the Real Story initiative aims to communicate with communities about the dangers of irregular onward movement. By reaching out to people on the move in their native languages, through social media, community leaders, volunteers and diaspora, this project aims to combat misinformation about the journey towards Europe and inform people about other options available to them.

Click here to learn more about TRS and explore the collection of authentic stories, told by the refugees and asylum seekers themselves.

Priorities and the way forward

While UNHCR has made positive progress in assisting those in need, a number of implementation challenges continue to hamper the ability to deliver assistance, including growing insecurity and limited access, underfunding and lack of quality data for evidence-informed action.

Despite challenges and taking into account needs, gaps and operational realities, UNHCR has identified key target areas for increased advocacy and assistance.

Join the response!

The scale of forced displacement in West and East African countries, both new and protracted, requires innovative and robust approaches to tackle root causes, enhance protection and lifesaving assistance, respond to immediate needs, support durable solutions and offer alternatives to irregular movements. Yet, funding gaps are likely to force UNHCR to deprioritize several key interventions that are essential for furthering refugee protection and access to solutions.

Contribute to UNHCR's response