Over 2,500 migrants have died since 2014 on Turkey-Greece route

At least 2,508 people — including children — have died in the eastern Mediterranean since 2014, the majority of whom were fleeing conflicts and poverty, said Regina De Dominicis, UNICEF Europe and Central Asia Regional Office and Special Coordinator for the Refugee and Migrant Response in Europe.

The statement by De Dominicis was issued on Wednesday, November 27, two days after eight people, including six children, died in a shipwreck in the Aegean Sea.

‘Condolences to families of victims of umpteenth tragedy’

“Six children are among eight people who lost their lives two days ago in the Aegean Sea. The children were with some 40 people travelling on a small dinghy boat across the Eastern Mediterranean migration route between Turkey and Greece”, De Dominicis said in the statement.

“Our deepest sympathies go out to families of all those who lost their lives in yet another tragedy to mar these shores.”

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‘Governments should use Migration and Asylum Pact to safeguard children’

“We urge governments to use the Migration and Asylum Pact to strengthen their commitment to safeguarding children. This must include ensuring safe, legal and accessible pathways for children to seek protection and reunite with family members,” said the UNICEF official.

“Coordinated search and rescue operations at sea, safe disembarkation, community-based reception, and access to asylum services are paramount to preventing these entirely preventable deaths and ensuring children are protected,” also noted De Dominicis.

At least 2,508 people died or disappeared along the eastern Mediterranean Sea migration route between 2014 and 21 October 2024, according to data provided by the Missing Migrants Project of the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

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