Immigrant Council Deplores “Tragic Milestone”, as 2016 Death Toll in the Med Passes 3,000
Over 3,000 people have now lost their lives in 2016 crossing the Mediterranean to seek refuge in Europe. That’s according to the Immigrant Council of Ireland.
Commenting today (26.07.16), Brian Killoran, Chief Executive of the Immigrant Council, said: “Figures released this week show the number of people missing and dead in the Mediterranean region this year now stands at 3,034.
“Passing the 3,000 mark in this deplorable death-toll is a tragic milestone, and one we should never have reached.
“This is the equivalent of a 747 Airliner plunging into the Mediterranean Sea every month this year. If that were happening, there would be global grief and action, yet this milestone is passed silently, and with little reaction from EU governments.
“The Mediterranean has become a graveyard, and will continue to be so unless EU policies and attitudes change.
“It is obvious that the approach of seeking to push people back into Turkey and other countries is a failed strategy and is neither a sustainable nor a humanitarian response. Safe and legal routes into Europe are the only way to curb this increasing list of fatalities. Until we provide safe passage to those making this journey, men, women and children will continue to lose their lives.”
Mr. Killoran said the first six months of this year saw 93 recorded deaths of children crossing the Mediterranean.
“However, the true number of children who have died is unknown, as most bodies are never recovered,” he said.
“The Immigrant Council of Ireland has called upon the Irish public to make their voices heard and to demand that the Irish and EU member state governments formulate a sustainable, human-rights-based response to this tragic loss of life.
“At its heart, what is happening is a vast human tragedy: the children losing their lives could be our children; the drowned could be our brothers, sisters and parents. How would we want to be treated if this was us?
“Let us end this dark chapter in human history by returning to the key fundamental values of this continent: human rights, dignity, respect for human life – not just our lives, but also the lives of those who come to us seeking sanctuary,” added Mr. Killoran.
Full data and further information on the number of fatalities in the Mediterranean is available at: http://migration.iom.int/europe/.
ENDS