Over 2018, more than 2,260 people have lost their lives in the Mediterranean Sea. We at the Alarm Phone had to witness many attempts to cross the sea that ended in people going missing or losing their lives. Below is the list of Alarm Phone emergency cases that involved deaths or disappearances this past year, and we have counted 142 to 145 people going missing, and 111 deaths. Of course, these numbers are estimates, often there was no confirmation. Many will have lost their lives without ever being accounted for, and without featuring in official statistics on border deaths. And even if we had the precise record of lives lost, it would not reflect the significance of all these individuals dying in great suffering, leaving behind families, friends, and partners. The last case with presumed fatalities that we worked on was from four days ago, when seven people went missing in the Aegean Sea.
We are devastated that there was not more we could do, but we promise to continue the struggle against the European border regime in 2019. May they rest in peace, and we offer our sincere condolences to all the people who have lost loved ones.
14/03: 10 people left from Morocco, rescued by Marine Royale, but one person went missing
01/04: Boat on the way to Tarifa capsized, only one survivor found [11 deaths]
07/05: 14 travellers attempt to cross Turkish-Greek land border, one dead person
29/05: Boat in distress carrying 5 people from Morocco, rescued to Spain but one death, one disappearance
02/06: Boat in distress in the Western Med with 9 people on board, 7 people died, 1 person missing
03/06: 9 Deaths in the Aegean Sea, including 6 Children, Antalya/Turkey
13/06: Alarm Phone alerted to two boats in the Western Mediterranean, 44 travellers remain missing
14/06: Alarm Phone alerted to three boats in the Western Mediterranean, two people remain missing
03/07: 2 boats in distress returned to Morocco by own forces, one dead person
09/08: Boat with 13 travellers capsized, nine people (seven children and two women) drowned.
27/08: Dead body sighted and group in need at the Turkish-Greek land border
29/08: One boat reached Melilla independently, one boat with 52 people still missing
05/09: 2 boats from Nador/Morocco, one intercepted with 6 dead people, one rescued to Spain, 6 dead
29/09: 2 boats in distress in the Aegean Sea, 5 bodies were recovered and 2 people are still missing
11/10: One boat from Tangier returned by own forces, 2 people died
22/10: 18 people- 2 children died in hospital in Turkey after the rescue
26/10: 4 boats: 1 boat rescued to Spain but 1 baby died
27/10: 13 ppl (5 children) rescued by Turkish Coast Guard, 1 woman died
04/11: 2 boats from Nador each carrying 56 people, 31 people dead despite both boats being rescued
12/11: Between 9-12 people missing, after boat from Algeria disappeared in the Central Med
13/11: Boat from Algeria towards Spain, 9 ppl, no information about their fate
19/11: 11 people, rescued by Turkish Coastguard near Kos, 1 person dead
24/11: 70 people, finally rescued by Marine Royale but 15 people dead
23/12: 12 ppl on a rubber boat in distress off Morocco – still missing
28/12/: Boat capsized near Cyprus, 7 missing
