Joint UNHCR/IOM Statement
© UNHCR/Socrates Baltagiannis
One year since the tragic shipwreck off the coast of Pylos, which claimed the lives of hundreds of refugees and migrants, UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) reiterate our deepest condolences to the families of the victims and highlight the critical importance of comprehensive and conclusive investigations to shed light on the circumstances of this tragedy and ensure accountability.
The boat, carrying up to 750 people according to testimonies, capsized on 14 June 2023. Only 104 people were rescued and 82 bodies were retrieved, leaving hundreds missing. Investigations have been initiated in Greece but so far no outcome establishing the facts on the incident has been communicated.
Both UNHCR and IOM remain available to collaborate with the investigating authorities in any manner deemed appropriate, in line with our agencies’ mandates. A thorough investigation is essential to secure justice for the survivors and the families of the victims and to help prevent similar tragedies in the future.
Since the Pylos shipwreck, more lives have been lost in the Mediterranean Sea. In particular, since 14 June last year, IOM’s Missing Migrants Project has recorded at least 1,516 deaths and disappearances on the Central Mediterranean Route, with 175 recorded on the Eastern Med. In 2023, 3,155 people lost their lives or went missing trying to cross the Mediterranean, while so far in 2024 the toll has reached 923.
These deaths are stark reminders of the urgent need for a principled and predictable approach to search-and-rescue based on international law. Saving lives, responsibility-sharing and solidarity must be at the heart of the EU’s action along migratory routes.
UNHCR and IOM also underscore the importance of implementing concrete, routes-based protection responses to save lives, reduce suffering and ensure that those in need of international protection can access it. It is vital to address the root causes of displacement and the drivers of dangerous journeys, through positive action on peace, climate change, governance, inequality and social cohesion, as well as the creation of alternative safe pathways to dispel the fake narrative provided by smugglers and traffickers.
As we remember the lives lost off Pylos, we renew our commitment to advocating for the right to seek asylum, safer migration routes, coordinated search and rescue operations, and the protection of the human rights of all migrants and refugees. Together, we must work to ensure that such tragedies never happen again.
For more information, please contact:
Stella Nanou, UNHCR Greece, [email protected]
Christine Nikolaidou, IOM Greece, [email protected]
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