Report on Dangers Faced by Migrants on Land Routes
If not provided with adequate support, migrants traveling through northern Africa towards the Mediterranean and Europe face a myriad of risks including rape, torture, sex trafficking, and even organ theft, as highlighted in a recent report co-authored by United Nations agencies.
Migrant fatalities in the Mediterranean have garnered global attention, yet the report suggests that the number of deaths in the desert regions may be significantly higher. According to the findings released by the United Nations and the Mixed Migration Centre, based in Denmark, more than 31,000 migrants interviewed from 2020 to 2023 reported instances of violence and abuse along their migration routes.
Individuals from diverse countries are fleeing war, environmental degradation, and poverty, with physical violence and sexual abuse being prevalent threats faced by migrants. Apart from sexual violence, physical violence, such as arbitrary detention for extortion purposes, labor exploitation, sex trafficking, and even organ trafficking, were commonly reported hazards.
The perpetrators of violence often include organized criminal groups and militias, particularly the traffickers responsible for guiding migrants towards Europe. These traffickers deceive migrants about the dangers ahead, extort additional payments during the journey, and provide minimal provisions like food and water.
One Eritrean refugee, Teklebrhan Tefamariam Tekle, now residing in Sweden, shared his harrowing experience, stating, “I believed all the accidents happen at sea. The accidents are back there in the Sahara. It is full of Eritrean bodies. There you will find bones and skulls of dead people.”
