A migrant who lost his life in the deadly Lampedusa shipwreck of October 3, 2013, has finally been identified more than 12 years after the tragedy. The victim, known for years only as number 186, was a 20-year-old man from Eritrea. His identification brings long-awaited answers to a family that has spent over a decade searching for the truth.
The shipwreck happened off the Italian island of Lampedusa and claimed the lives of at least 368 people. Many of the victims were migrants from Eritrea who were fleeing hunger, forced military service, and political persecution. For years, dozens of bodies were buried in Italian cemeteries with no names, only numbers.
According to available information, the young man had travelled for nearly two years before his death. His journey took him through Sudan, Ethiopia, and Libya, following routes commonly used by migrants hoping to reach Europe. Like many others, he boarded an overcrowded boat from Libya, risking his life in the dangerous Mediterranean Sea.
Italian authorities are now waiting for final DNA comparison results to officially confirm his name. Samples were taken after his body was exhumed from the cemetery in Bompensiere, in the province of Caltanissetta. The DNA results are being compared with information and family data collected before his death, and experts say there is little doubt about his identity.
Tareke Brhane, president of the October 3 Committee, said the young man began his journey shortly after reaching adulthood. The committee works to identify migrants who died at sea and to support families searching for missing relatives. Brhane said the goal is to restore dignity to victims who were buried without names and to give families a place to mourn.
The identification work was supported by Labanof, the forensic anthropology laboratory of the University of Milan, which has played a key role in identifying victims of migrant shipwrecks. The committee plans another mission later this year, when a delegation will travel to the Netherlands to meet around ten families of migrants who may have died in the same 2013 disaster. DNA samples will be collected to help match families with unnamed victims.
This case follows a similar breakthrough in May 2024, when another victim of the 2013 shipwreck was finally identified. Known for years as “Am16,” the migrant was confirmed to be Weldu Romel, a 27-year-old man from Eritrea. His remains are now buried in the cemetery of Caltagirone, where his family finally has a place to remember him.
Brhane stressed that giving victims a name and a dignified burial is a basic human right. He said refusing families this closure goes against humanity and leaves deep emotional wounds. Many families continue to live with uncertainty, not knowing whether their loved ones are alive or dead.
Over the past ten years, at least 60,000 people have died while trying to reach Europe, with more than 27,000 deaths recorded in the Mediterranean Sea alone. Thousands more migrants have disappeared without a trace. Behind every number is a human being — a son, daughter, brother, sister, mother, or father.
The October 3 Committee continues to call for the creation of a European-wide DNA database to help identify migrants who died along Europe’s borders. According to Brhane, Italy already has a working system that could be extended to all 27 European Union countries, helping to bring answers to thousands of families still waiting.