For over five years now, we witness how thousands of people have to risk their lives in the Mediterranean to find a place of protection and freedom. In that time, we experienced the loss of many lives at Europe’s violent external borders. We cannot forget those who have been killed or forcibly disappeared. Also over the past year, we were directly involved in dangerous situations at sea that ended with people losing their lives. In the situations listed below, we are certain that people lost their lives, or we strongly fear that boats went missing. This is not an exhaustive list. Sometimes we heard of boats but were never able to reach them and never found out what happened to them. Regularly, relatives and friends reached out to us to report their loved ones missing and we just could not find out where and how they were.
We dedicate our work to all those who have lost their lives in the sea or disappeared there. In our daily work we try to remember them – together with their friends, their mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers and partners – and fight against death at sea. They will live on in every moment in which we do not give up on overcoming the border regime that killed them.
13/01 (Western Mediterranean): Boat carrying 54 people in distress, 53 went missing, one person survived.
(http://watchthemed.net/index.php/reports/view/1124)
18/01 (Aegean Sea): Travellers stranded on Farmakonisi brought to Leros – one man lost his life, when he fell into the sea shortly before the boat reached the island.
(http://watchthemed.net/index.php/reports/view/1128)
20/01 (Central Mediterranean): Around 100 travellers in distress in the Central Mediterranean, returned by merchant vessel to Libya. Upon arrival survivors report that at least six people died during the journey. One boy died after being returned to Libya.
(http://watchthemed.net/index.php/reports/view/1133)
13/03 (Western Mediterranean): Boat with 67 travellers capsized in the Alboran sea, 45 people believed to have drowned.
(http://watchthemed.net/index.php/reports/view/1157)
01/04 (Central Mediterranean): 50 people travelling from Zuwarah/Libya missing, never found.
(http://watchthemed.net/index.php/reports/view/1182)
10/04 (Central Mediterranean): 28 people in distress off Libya, 8 missing, intercepted to Libya.
(http://watchthemed.net/index.php/reports/view/1184)
01/05 (Western Mediterranean): 9 people dead in tragedy in the Strait of Gibraltar, whilst only 3 travellers survived.
(http://watchthemed.net/index.php/reports/view/1208)
16/05 (Central Mediterranean): 60 people started from al-Zawiya/Libya – no clarification possible.
(http://watchthemed.net/index.php/reports/view/1236)
21/05 (Western Mediterranean): 8 people travelling from Cap Spartel, intercepted by Moroccan Navy – one person died.
(http://watchthemed.net/index.php/reports/view/1219)
29/05 (Central Mediterranean): Boats with over 180 people in distress rescued to Malta and Italy – upon arrival survivors spoke of several people dying during the journey.
(http://watchthemed.net/index.php/reports/view/1231)
02/07 (Central Mediterranean): 60 people in distress off the coast of Libya, fate unclear.
(http://watchthemed.net/index.php/reports/view/1251)
18/08 (Central Mediterranean): Possible shipwreck with over 100 deaths off the coast of Libya.
(http://watchthemed.net/index.php/reports/view/1291)
17/08 (Central Mediterranean): Fisherman reports to Alarm Phone of shipwreck with only three survivors – over 100 deaths feared.
(https://www.infomigrants.net/en/post/18958/100-feared-dead-in-shipwreck-off-libya)
20/08 (between Bosnia-Herzegovina and Serbia) group of 21 travellers who were trying to cross the border between Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, close to Banja Koviljača. One person had drowned in the river Drina.
(http://watchthemed.net/index.php/reports/view/1269)
27/08 (Central Mediterranean): boat with around 100 people capsized off Libya – unclear how many died.
(http://watchthemed.net/index.php/reports/view/1281)
14/10 (Aegean Sea): 33 people rescued by Turkish CG near Lesvos, one child was detected dead under the capsized boat. One other child remains missing.
(http://watchthemed.net/index.php/reports/view/1359)
14/10 (Central Mediterranean): 80 people travelling from Sabratah/Libya in distress, fate unclear.
(http://watchthemed.net/index.php/reports/view/1365)
26/10 (Central Mediterranean): Two boats rescued by civil SAR actors in the Central Med; one person remains missing.
(http://watchthemed.net/index.php/reports/view/1369)
21/11 (Central Mediterranean): A fisherman informed the Alarm Phone about a capsized boat, according to him 30 people survived, 70 people died.
(https://alarmphone.org/en/2019/11/26/four-days-of-struggle/)
21/11 (Central Mediterranean): Boat with 94 people in distress – Intercepted or Capsized.
(http://watchthemed.net/index.php/reports/view/1435)
26/11 (Western Mediterranean): 73 people missing in the Alboran.
(http://watchthemed.net/index.php/reports/view/1417)
16/12 (Western Mediterranean): 91 people started from Nador, 84 travellers rescued to Morocco, 7 died.
(http://watchthemed.net/index.php/reports/view/1397)
On the last day of 2019, two boats were still missing. We hope that the people will still be found alive:
28/12 (Western Mediterranean): About 40 people go missing, between Moroccan coast and Canary Islands.
31/12 (Central Mediterranean): About 45 people go missing after being spotted by a fisherman off Libyan coast.
(https://twitter.com/alarm_phone/status/1212369275807313936)
