The UN agency, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) has said that nearly 111,000 migrants reached Europe by sea in 2018. The Mediterranean is the deadliest route for migrants traveling to Europe with 2,160 victims registered so far this year, the IOM said.
Aid organizations SOS Mediterranee and Doctors Without Borders (MSF) are being forced to end their life-saving Mediterranean rescue mission. MSF managing director Florian Westphal told DW the situation is "catastrophic."
The UNHCR announced the evacuation of the first group of refugees, hosted in new departure facilities, from Libya to Niger last week.
The situation in Libya remains dangerous, with human traffickers selling migrants as slaves and exploiting them for personal gain. In response to many queries online, we have compiled some facts on migrant abuse in the transit country.
The NGOs that chartered the Aquarius cited a "smear campaign" by European governments as the reason for its ceasing operations. The ship has been stranded in Marseille since losing its registration.
A boat carrying 25 migrants that departed from Libya in an attempt to reach Europe was adrift on the Mediterranean for almost two weeks. More than half of the passengers died of thirst and starvation.
Activists, journalists, and civil society organisations have launched a website that gathers news and reports of human rights violations in Libya.
Think refugees and boats and images of overcrowded inflatable boats probably spring to mind - desperate people risking their lives for a new life. An ambitious art project in Berlin wants to challenge that perception by working with refugees to build a luxury boat to explore the city's waterways and create a floating space for dialogue. Guy Degen visited the Making Waves project to find out more.
Spanish and Libyan authorities have started talks to bring back to the North African country 12 migrants rescued in international waters on November 22, while NGOs oppose their return to Libya.
Italian authorities stopped six members of the crew of a fishing boat that towed a boat with 68 migrants aboard to Italy. The suspects are accused of facilitating illegal immigration through a new technique used by traffickers to bring migrants to Europe.
For many refugees it's a lose-lose situation in Libya. The crackdown by Italy and Libya means a sea crossing is next to impossible. Meanwhile, local authorities feel overwhelmed. Karlos Zurutuza reports from Zuwara.
Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has expressed concern in a statement over the condition of 81 migrants who were forced to get off the Nivin vessel. The organization said no official information has been provided on their wellbeing.