Migrants and refugees in Africa are increasingly facing perilous journeys as they head north toward the Mediterranean and Europe. According to a report released by the United Nations refugee and migration agencies and the Mixed Migration Centre research group, land routes in Africa are twice as deadly as the Mediterranean sea lanes, the world’s most dangerous maritime route for migrants. The report highlights the severe risks faced by migrants, including enslavement, organ removal, rape, and kidnapping for ransom by criminal gangs.
New conflicts and instability in countries such as Mali, Burkina Faso, and Sudan have contributed to the rise in migration toward the Mediterranean. Additionally, Nigeria, Ivory Coast, and Guinea are identified as the top countries of origin for these migrants. Despite the anti-immigrant sentiment in many parts of Europe and beyond, driven by political agendas during an election year, the flow of migrants continues due to conflict, economic hardship, repression, and climate change impacts in the developing world.
The report emphasizes that refugees and migrants are traversing areas dominated by insurgent groups, militias, and other criminal actors, where human trafficking and sexual exploitation are rampant. Although comprehensive statistics on deaths along the land routes are lacking, the UNHCR has reported a significant increase in refugees and asylum-seekers in Tunisia—a key transit country for migrants heading to Europe—between 2020 and 2023.
The dangers of these land routes are severe. In the first half of this year, over 72,000 migrants and refugees crossed the Mediterranean, with 785 people reported dead or missing during this period. Vincent Cochetel, UNHCR special envoy, highlighted the dire conditions migrants face, recounting stories of smugglers abandoning sick individuals in the desert or failing to retrieve those who fall off trucks.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported that more than 3,100 people died crossing the Mediterranean last year. The new report, drawing on testimonies from over 31,000 people, underscores the inadequacy of international action and the significant gaps in protection and assistance for migrants making these dangerous journeys. From January 2020 to May 2024, at least 1,180 people are known to have died while crossing the Sahara Desert, but the actual number is likely much higher.
Sexual violence, kidnapping, and death risks have increased for migrants compared to previous years. Algeria, Libya, and Ethiopia are cited as the most dangerous transit countries. The report also reveals hundreds of cases of organ removals, a practice that has been ongoing for years. Often, migrants are drugged and have their organs removed without consent, waking up to find a kidney missing.
Libya has become a primary transit point for migrants fleeing war and poverty in Africa and the Middle East. In March, authorities discovered a mass grave in the western Libyan desert containing the bodies of at least 65 migrants, highlighting the extreme dangers faced by those attempting to reach Europe