Migrants are using increasingly creative ways to journey to their destinations, often ignoring the risks involved. So-called clandestine journeys, which often involve stowing away in cars, lorries, boats, trains or planes are among the most dangerous ways people can travel.
More than 50,000 people have died on global migration routes since 2014, according to the latest numbers released by the United Nations.
According to several reports, Swiss officials are allowing hundreds of migrants to enter the European Union. Some even say that Switzerland is actively assisting migrants in their onward journey into Northern Europe. Accusations of Switzerland breaking its international obligations are now mounting.
A sailboat carrying dozens of migrants has been towed to safety, the Greek coast guard said. Overnight, the vessel sent a distress signal after getting caught in rough waters off mainland Greece.
Every year, hundreds of people go missing on their way to Europe. While the Mediterranean Sea is infamous for being one of the deadliest migration routes, other places such as the Sahara desert are also extremely dangerous. InfoMigrants spoke with Lucile Marbeau, spokesperson for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
Tens of thousands of Ethiopian migrants are being deported from Saudi Arabia. They tell of being detained for months in miserable conditions. At home, they face an uncertain future.
UNHCR reports that over 3,000 people either died or went missing while trying to reach Europe via sea in 2021. The UN agency has asked for urgent measures to ward off an increase in people losing their lives on these journeys.
German police have found four Afghan boys and men hiding in the loading area of a truck. The Romanian driver reportedly heard sounds and informed the police.
In the eastern Pyrenees, on the border between France and Spain, the number of migrants arriving is increasing. French authorities said they intercepted a record number of 13,000 people in 2021 in Cerbère, the first French village after the border. In the nearest big city Perpignan, associations helping migrants say they are overwhelmed.
At least 11 people are dead after their boat sank off the coast of Tunisia on Wednesday. Among the victims was a girl about 10 years old.
The UN migration agency has said that 4,470 migrants died along migration routes worldwide in 2021, exceeding the 4,236 deaths registered in 2020.
Many of the hundreds of migrants crossing the border between Belarus and Poland report having suffered mistreatment and abuse at the hands of authorities. InfoMigrants recorded the stories of two men who traveled from central Africa to seek protection in Germany.