Every year thousands of people who undertake migration journeys never reach their destination: according to the International Organisation of Migration, more than 75,000 people have disappeared on migration routes across the world since 2014. The true figure is likely to be much higher. 

In the most recent issue of Forced Migration Review we look more closely at these ‘dangerous journeys’, asking how deaths and disappearances could be prevented and, where tragedies continue to occur, how greater resolution and support could be provided for the loved ones left behind.

What hinders search and rescue…

The issue explores new constraints on search and rescue (SAR). Marc Tilley describes the move from criminalisation of individuals and organisations helping migrants at sea to the more insidious ‘bureaucratisation’ – the use of measures such as complex compliance requirements, arbitrary port restrictions and vessel seizures under the pretext of safety regulations. He argues these measures enable states to deter SAR activities while avoiding legal scrutiny and public backlash, and have contributed to a big fall in the number of NGO vessels operating in the Mediterranean. 

Eleanor Paynter focusses in particular on the ‘distant ports’ practice, whereby authorities direct SAR vessels to dock not at the nearest port but at ports that are often hundreds of miles away, straining crew resources and further endangering rescued people. According to data collected by the NGO SOS Humanity, in 2023–24 NGO vessels operating in the Central Mediterranean travelled for 653 additional days and more than 261,990 extra miles in order to disembark migrants at assigned ports.

…and what can help

In their article, Ralph Mamiya and Caroline Abu Sa’Da suggest commercial shipping is a significant untapped resource that could be better mobilised to assist with SAR, either directly or through data collection. Drawing on their own survey data, they find that seafarers recognise a responsibility to help those in distress but feel they lack the training to do so, while also citing operational challenges and fears of possible criminalisation. 

Elisa Sisto and Malvika Verma outline some more successful approaches to rescue in different contexts. In the Alps, Médecins du Monde has partnered with a local organisation to provide joint mobile rescue units, featuring locals with terrain knowledge and medical professionals. Recognising that border guards are often unsure of their rights and responsibilities, legal guidance has also been developed. In Niger, rather than being criminalised, SAR is supported by authorities, with prompt information-sharing and coordination between NGOs, local volunteers, the police and military helping to support rescue efforts in the desert. 

The dangers of new routes

With the increasing fortification of Europe’s borders, new migration routes are opening up. Growing numbers from the Middle East and sub-Saharan Africa are heading to the Americas, with many navigating the treacherous Darién Gap into the North. Houman Oliaei takes a look at the brokers who facilitate these journeys and how they juggle constantly changing requirements along the route in a complex interplay of legal statuses, visa requirements and strategic decision-making that blurs distinctions between regular and irregular migration. 

Alberto Hernández Hernández and Carlos S Ibarra highlight the increasing commodification of migration along these routes. Rather than relying on ad hoc smuggling arrangements, they found some migrants were purchasing ‘packages’ – organised tiers of service, often labelled as basic, standard or VIP depending on the degree of danger. This stratification forced resource-poor migrants into more perilous journeys while also complicating humanitarian support. Packages were increasingly advertised via social media, with online ‘influencers’ falsely glamorising journeys through scenic footage of river crossings or tropical mountains.

Ngang Fru Delvis’ article brings out the brutal reality of these journeys through interviews with Cameroonian women who have travelled through the Americas. The women described the physical toll of the journey, as well as the exploitation and sexual violence experienced at the hands of narco-traffickers, armed bandits and smugglers. They also highlighted the mutual support they developed as a survival strategy, as well as the kindness they received from local communities, although they noted the solidarity fatigue that set in as greater numbers of migrants began to arrive. 

As Magdalena Arias Cubas and co-authors explain, children travelling alone face similar risks of exploitation. Child separation on migration journeys can happen for many reasons, including deliberate division by smugglers, chaotic border situations or even a simple inability to keep up. They outline approaches that can limit the risks for children, such as ‘invented kinship’, where groups of children travel together for both companionship and safety, better information for those policing borders, and ensuring access to support services.

Enhancing identification

Where deaths do occur, it is important that families receive answers about the fate of their loved ones and that the identity and dignity of deceased persons is restored to enable the return of their human remains for proper burial. 

Lucinda Evert, Stephen Fonseca and Vaughn Rossouw explore how, with some adjustments, countries’ existing systems for identifying the missing and the dead can be adapted to address the specific challenges relating to missing and deceased migrants. They outline a pilot project run by the International Committee of the Red Cross in South Africa and Zimbabwe that used better liaison with families, enhanced forensic identification procedures and improved training for police to increase identification rates. 

Antonietta Lanzarone, Panthelis Themelis and Florian von König highlight another example of good practice in the response to the 2023 Pylos disaster, in which a boat carrying over 750 people sank off the Peloponnese coast. Some 100 men were rescued and 82 bodies recovered. The authors describe how the Greek authorities’ decision to activate the country’s Disaster Victim Identification protocol in the context of a migration-related incident for the first time led to an exceptionally high 90% identification rate.

The role of States and regional cooperation

Recognising the urgent need to step up efforts to prevent and resolve cases of missing migrants, States have begun to develop increasingly specific political commitments, policies and practices. Jana Röthlisberger, Ndumbeh Saho and Florian von König write about a joint project by the ICRC, Switzerland and The Gambia to establish a Network of National Focal Points to address the shortage of government officials with designated responsibilities for missing migrants ­– a lack which has hampered previous coordination.

Julian Pahlke and Paulo Pisco outline positive efforts being undertaken by the Council of Europe’s Parliamentary Assembly to bring together governments, parliamentarians and civil society actors to address the issue. But Gilberto M A Rodrigues and Luiza Fernandes e Silva point to the recent renegotiation of the Cartagena process, the regional framework for refugee protection in Latin America and the Caribbean, as a missed opportunity which, despite useful recommendations developed by civil society organisations, failed to introduce substantial measures to address dangerous migration journeys.

There isn’t space here to mention all 25 articles in the issue but we would like to thank all the authors who shared their insights. Together their articles document the tireless efforts of individuals, communities, local actors, organisations and governments across the world to tackle the tragedy of missing migrants, and the work that still needs to be done.