Ratio of deaths in the Mediterranean Sea increases as new discussions on migration policies unfold in the EU

News about shipwrecks, returns or disembarkation of boats carrying migrants and refugees across the Mediterranean Sea is reported at least weekly, but more often daily, in international newspapers. This often includes loss of life, adding up to hundreds of people every year. The constant flow of information can numb one to the sheer frequency and numbers of deaths and missing people at sea. In the wake of the new Migration Pact proposed by the European Commission, experts warn that some EU policies may increase the risk for migrants and refugees.

News Highlights: Eritrean embassy office reprimanded by Netherlands, Deportation of Sudanese man ruled unlawful, Frontex implicated in pushbacks

In this week’s news highlights: Dutch Minister takes action against Eritrean embassy amid coerced fund collection; Frontex implicated in illegal “push-backs”; Four asylum seekers, including two children, die trying to cross the English Channel; OXFAM Italia reports on increased human rights violations due to migration deals; Italian ex-minister to go to trial for alleged kidnapping in rescue boat case; Home Office reduces minimum required salary for migrants to settle; Blog posts to be written by experts on new migration pact; Forced repatriation of a Sudanese refugee from Belgium has been considered unlawful by ECHR; Updated list of missing Eritrean political prisoners published by Eritrea Hub; German government provides funding to Ethiopia for border and migration management; Eritrean asylum seekers face increased difficulty in Ethiopia amidst COVID-19 and reception restrictions; Hunger strike by two Eritrean refugees in Egypt jail; ILO and IOM sign agreement to improve collaboration on migration; and India ships food aid to countries in the Horn of Africa.

News Highlights: Eritrean government arresting families, 11 women and children die off Tunisian coast; UK considers nets to stop crossing boats

In this week’s news highlights: Financial assistance provided by IOM for returning Ethiopian migrants; Eritrean Poet receives Writer of Courage award; Families arrested by Eritrean authorities in Afar Red Sea region; Crossings from Libya and Chad to Sudan seen as most risky by people attempting to reach Khartoum; New Special Rapporteur for Eritrea selected; Migrants deported from Algeria to Niger; Boat sinks off Tunisia coast leaving 8 women and 3 children dead; Heavy rains flood Moria camp; “Alan Kurdi” ship detained again at Italian port; Sudanese asylum seeker tells his story; Italian Lampedusa hotspot full after disembarkation of 11 refugees boats; Home Office considers nets to stop migrant boats; and Over 1000 migrants and refugees land at Spanish Canary Islands.