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Edited News | IOM , mcc , UNHCR
UNHCR IOM MCC: Report on risks faced by refugees and migrants on the central mediterranean route
Refugees, migrants face violence, abuse and death on routes across Africa, new data shows
Refugees and migrants continue to face extreme forms of violence, exploitation and death on sea and on land across Africa as they move through the continent, UN agencies said on Friday, in an appeal to border authorities to do more to protect them.
Data from a new report by the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, the UN migration agency IOM and the Mixed Migration Centre (MMC) highlights the often under-reported perils facing vulnerable people on the move on dangerous land routes.
Abuse along the route
“Regardless of their status, migrants, refugees, seem to face serious human rights violations and abuse along the route...We cannot lose our capacity to get outraged by this level of violence,” said Vincent Cochetel, UNHCR Special Envoy for the Western and Central Mediterranean.
More people are estimated to cross the Sahara desert than the Mediterranean Sea and deaths of refugees and migrants in the desert are presumed to be double those at sea. The report - “On this journey, no-one cares if you live or die” – spans a three-year data collection period and warns of an increase in the number of people attempting these perilous land crossings.
Highlighting that the central Mediterranean migration route continues to be among the deadliest in the world, IOM Director of the Coordination Office for the Mediterranean Laurence Hart noted that “a very high number of people” still take the risk of embarking on “very dangerous journeys. Obviously, there's a lot of people do not choose to move, but they are pushed because of…political conflict, instability.”
Push factors
So-called push factors on the migration route include the deteriorating situation in countries of origin and host countries – such as new conflicts in the Sahel and Sudan - the devastating impact of climate change and disasters on new and protracted emergencies in the East and Horn of Africa, as well as racism and xenophobia towards refugees and migrants.
Huge gaps in protection and assistance prevail across the Central Mediterranean route, pushing refugees and migrants to move onward on dangerous journeys, the report notes.
“Just last week, we heard that 5,000 people died on the Atlantic route to the Canary Islands in the first five months of this year - that's an increase of 700 per cent compared to the same period last year,” said Bram Frouws, Director of the Mixed Migration Centre (MMC). “We also know even though we don't have fully accurate numbers, and indeed it is an underestimation that countless others die on the land routes, up to the Mediterranean coast, possibly even more than at sea.”
Insufficient efforts
Despite commitments undertaken by the international community to save lives and address vulnerabilities, the report’s authors warned that current efforts to hold all those accountable for the abuse and dangers that migrants and refugees suffer are inadequate. Criminal groups and traffickers are often responsible for terrible abuses, Mr. Frouws said, but “State officials - like police, military and border guards" – also played a role. “But whoever they are, whichever category, they should be held accountable. But at the moment, much of this is happening in a situation of near complete impunity.”
The report noted that smuggling routes are shifting towards more remote areas to avoid active conflict zones or border controls by State and non-State actors, subjecting people on the move to even greater risks.
The kinds of abuse reported include torture, physical violence, arbitrary detention, death, kidnapping for ransom, sexual violence and exploitation, enslavement, human trafficking, forced labour, organ removal, robbery, arbitrary detention, collective expulsions and refoulement.
Stepping up life-saving protection
Support as well as access to justice for survivors of various forms of abuse is rarely available anywhere on the routes, the report indicated, citing inadequate funding and restrictions on humanitarian access. This is particularly the case in key locations such as informal detention centres and holding facilities.
Despite these challenges, UNHCR, IOM and partners including NGOs and several governments have stepped up life-saving protection services and assistance, identification and referral mechanisms along the routes. But they insist that humanitarian action is not enough.
“It's important to look at how to regularize or legalise migrants in countries of transit if there is a need, but also further afield…in European countries responding to the need for talents and for manpower,” said IOM’s Mr. Hart. “Opening up regular channels is indeed not the silver bullet, but certainly an enabler. Another element, another pillar, on which migration governance hinges on.”
ends
SPEAKERS:
- Vincent Cochetel, UNHCR, Special Envoy for the Western & Central Mediterranean
- Laurence Hart, IOM, Director, Coordination Office for the Mediterranean- Chief of Mission for Italy and Malta – Representative for the Holy See
- Bram Frouws, MMC, Director of the Mixed Migration Centre
STORY: New report highlights extreme horrors faced by refugees and migrants on land routes to Africa's Mediterranean coast UNHCR - IOM - MCC
TRT: 04 min 26s
SOURCE: UNTV CH
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS
ASPECT RATIO: 16:9
DATELINE: 4 JULY 2024 GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
1. SOUNDBITE (English) — Vincent Cochetel, UNHCR, Special Envoy for the Western & Central Mediterranean Situation: “Regardless of their status, migrants and refugees seem to face serious human rights violations and abuse along the route. We distinguish ‘abuse’ from ‘violation’ using that legal terminology, ‘abuses’ by non-state actors, whereas ‘violation’ is by state authorities. A total of more than 32,000 people have been interviewed. So, it's a huge body of evidence.”
2. SOUNDBITE (English) — Vincent Cochetel, UNHCR, Special Envoy for the Western & Central Mediterranean Situation: “We cannot lose our capacity to get outraged by this level of violence along the route. Some of it can be addressed -and we can't go to a risk zero-, but there has to be some better response on some parts of the routes, on better border management, which has become the shortcut that many states are using in saying that's the way to fix it. Well, better border management cannot be your justification for that level of violence along the route. It has to come with proper referral, proper services and proper accountability for those causing that violence along the route.”
3. SOUNDBITE (English) — Laurence Hart, IOM, Director, Coordination Office for the Mediterranean- Chief of Mission for Italy and Malta – Representative for the Holy See: “The central Mediterranean continues to be the deadliest routes. And, you know, I'm also quite surprised when, in an era (of) access to media, to social media, to information, there is still a very high number of people taking the risks of embarking on dangerous, very dangerous journeys. Obviously, a lot of people do not choose to move, but they are pushed because of various situations, political conflict, instability... However, the misinformation still subsists.”
4. SOUNDBITE (English) — Laurence Hart, IOM, Director, Coordination Office for the Mediterranean- Chief of Mission for Italy and Malta – Representative for the Holy See: “It's important to look at how to regularise or legalise migrants in countries of transit. If there is a need for example, but also further afield when it comes, for example, in European countries responding to the need for talents and for manpower in countries of destination. Opening up regular channels is indeed not the silver bullet, but certainly an enabler, another element, another pillar on which migration governance hinges on.”
5. SOUNDBITE (English) — Bram Frouws, MMC, Director of the Mixed Migration Centre: “Just last week, we heard that 5,000 people died on the Atlantic route to the Canary Islands in the first five months of this year. That's an increase of 700 per cent compared to the same period last year. And we also know, even though we don't have fully accurate numbers, that indeed it is an underestimation, that countless others die on the land routes up to the Mediterranean coast, possibly even more than at sea.”
6. SOUNDBITE (English) — Bram Frouws, MMC, Director of the Mixed Migration Centre: “This report also explores who are the perpetrators of violence and common perpetrators are smugglers. There are among the perpetrators, other criminal groups, but also, as Vincent alluded to, state officials like police, military and border guards. But whoever they are, whichever category, they should be held accountable. But at the moment, much of this is happening in a situation of near complete impunity.”
7. Wide shot: podium with speakers at the press room.
9. Medium-wide shot: podium with speakers at the press room.
10. Close-up of Vincent Cochetel speaking to journalists at the press room. at the press room.
11. Medium-wide shot: podium with speakers with TV screen showing press conference in foreground and room with journalists to rear with male journalist speaking (from right side).
11. Wide shot, podium with speakers with TV screen showing press conference in foreground and room with journalists to rear with female journalist speaking (from left side).
12. Medium-wide shot: press room with journalists and female journalist speaking.
13. Wide shot: podium with speakers and moderator Shabia Mantoo, UNHCR moderator speaking.
14. Wide shot: podium with speakers with TV screen showing press conference in foreground and room with journalists to rear with male journalist speaking (from left side).
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As world’s water reserves change, countries must prepare for a new reality: WMO
New data showing that rivers were at their lowest level for decades last year provides further evidence that the climate crisis is real and countries must act immediately to protect themselves from the increasing threat to communities and livelihoods, the UN World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said on Thursday.
The key findings from WMO’s State of Global Water Resources 2025 report covering the hydrological cycle and extreme events in the five-year period to last year:
- 2025 was one of driest years for river discharge in 35 years
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- Water storage on Earth’s land surface has decreased in past decade
- Widespread glacier loss across all regions for fourth consecutive year
- Asia and Africa are regions most affected by water-related disasters
- Water data availability has improved, but gaps remain in hard-hit areas
Highlighting the long-term decline in the Earth’s freshwater storage and glacier melt, WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo explained that the planet’s water reserves used to act as a planetary “savings account” that absorbed the occasional dry season, avoiding a water crisis. “One of the central stories of the 2025 report is what is happening to that savings account? And the simple answer is that we are depleting it,” she told journalists in Geneva.
Groundwater reserves are equally stretched and have been in decline since 2014, WMO’s report states, with nearly two-thirds of monitored wells worldwide showing levels lower than the historical norm and indicating a shift “further toward deficit…not recovery”.
“At the same time, we are seeing more water-related disasters,” Ms. Saulo said, while also stressing that the currently strengthening El Niño “will increase the risk of drought in some areas, and flooding in others”.
Glaciers disappearing
In 2025, for the fourth consecutive year, every major glaciated region on Earth lost ice mass, leading to short-term hazards including floods and long-term water insecurity, according to WMO.
Responding to a question about whether the changing global water cycle might have contributed to the deadly Nepal-China flooding disaster, Ms. Saulo explained that melting ice and rock was just one factor in the chain of events that ultimately sent a massive and deadly wall of water and debris downstream on 26 August, killing at least 1,367 people.
“You asked if it could happen again? Absolutely; the problem in this region is that there’s 63,700 glaciers at the last count,” she told a Press Conference in Geneva. “Even if you’re looking with remote sensing with satellites at these glaciers, you might see some faults, you might see some slight shifting, that does not mean necessarily catastrophic collapse. So, in order to plan for this, it’s very, very difficult. But the international community is looking very hard at ways in which we can bring people together to solve some of these monitoring issues.”
Data indicates that glaciers shrank between 2023 and 2025 with cumulative losses of 1,400 gigatonnes of water – or about one third of annual fresh water needs.
Every major glacier region on Earth lost ice for the fourth consecutive year.
“All 19 glacier regions around the globe lost ice; in Central Asia, Iceland, the Russian Arctic and western Canada and the United States, it was among the three worst years on record,” said Wayne Jenkinson, WMO’s Director of Hydrology and Cryosphere.
Some regions with smaller glaciers such as Central Europe, the Caucasus, the western Canada and the United States may already have reached “peak water”, Mr. Jenkinson warned.
“After this point, the glacier gives less meltwater each year simply because there is less ice left to melt. That matters for every community downstream that relies on water during hot, dry summers,” he explained.
Narelle van der Wel, WMO’s Head of Cryosphere Monitoring, Predictions and Services, stressed that while some further glacier loss is unavoidable, the eventual scale of the decline is not predetermined.
“Some glacier loss is inevitable, but total loss of glaciers is not yet inevitable,” she said, pointing to emissions reductions as central to limiting future losses.
Preparing for moving baselines
The report does not attribute every observed change to climate change alone. WMO says pressure on water resources and natural variability also contribute.
Mr. Jenkinson said governments need to prepare for “moving baselines” as historical patterns become less reliable.
“The situation 30 years ago is not where we are today,” he said. Countries, he added, need to prepare “for those changes that have really already arrived”.
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