By: Maria Clara Martin, UNHCR Representative in Greece | Gianluca Rocco, Chief of Mission, IOM Greece
Today marks one year since that tragic day off the coast of Pylos, a day when hope turned into heartbreak for hundreds of refugees and migrants. The shipwreck that claimed so many lives on June 14, 2023, remains a stark reminder of the perilous journeys undertaken by those seeking safety and a better future.
The boat, an unseaworthy vessel carrying up to 750 people, capsized on that day. Only 104 were rescued, and 82 bodies were recovered. Investigations have been initiated here in Greece, yet answers are still awaited to bring clarity, solace and justice to the survivors and the families of those who perished. Both UNHCR and IOM remain available to collaborate with the investigating authorities in any manner deemed appropriate, in line with our agencies’ mandates. Justice for the survivors and the victims’ families is not just a formality; it is a necessary step towards healing, accountability and preventing future tragedies.
Since the Pylos disaster, the Mediterranean Sea has continued to be a graveyard for those in search of safety or a better life. According to IOM’s Missing Migrants Project, 3,155 people lost their lives or went missing last year alone, and in the first half of this year, 923 more have suffered the same fate. But these are not just numbers – each number means a person, a life full of dreams and potential, cut short. These losses cry out for a principled approach to search-and-rescue, grounded in international law and driven by compassion and solidarity.
Beyond the immediate response, we must also tackle the root causes that drive people to such desperate journeys. And an end must be put to the despicable smuggling business that trades on peoples hopes and lives – with tragic results. Yesterday, UNHCR released updated global forced displacement numbers, revealing a surge to 120 million people forced to flee their homes because of conflict, persecution and increasingly complex forms of violence. A staggering number reflecting both new and mutating conflicts and a failure to resolve long-standing crises. Additionally, climate change is exacerbating the protection needs and risks for forcibly displaced people and contributing to new, onward and protracted displacement. At end 2023, three-quarters of displaced people were living in countries with high-to-extreme exposure of climate-related hazards.
These figures will keep rising, bringing fresh misery and costly humanitarian responses, until there is real cooperation and concerted efforts to address conflict, climate change and other root causes of displacement. All those affected need peace and stability.
As we remember the lives lost off Pylos, let us 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. Working together is the only way to ensure such tragedies never happen again.
*This is a translation of an op-ed hosted in Greek at the newspaper TA NEA on 14 June 2024
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