Migrants Facing Horrific Dangers on Land Routes

If not abandoned to suffer from thirst or disease, migrants navigating the perilous land routes through northern Africa en route to the Mediterranean and Europe are exposed to unspeakable horrors including rape, torture, sex trafficking, and even organ theft, as revealed in a recent report co-authored by United Nations agencies.

Underreported Tragedy in the Deserts

Although the world has been shaken by migrant deaths in the Mediterranean for the past ten years, the report asserts that the number of fatalities in the desert regions might be double that figure. The findings were released on Friday by the United Nations in collaboration with the Mixed Migration Centre, a Danish research organization, after conducting interviews with over 31,000 migrants between 2020 and 2023.

Perils Faced by Migrants

• Physical and Sexual Violence: The report highlights that physical violence, distinct from sexual violence which was documented separately, poses the most significant threat to migrants. Various dangers along the routes range from arbitrary detentions, often conducted to extort money from their families, to trafficking for labor, sex work, or criminal activities. Migrants recounted accounts of torture and even organ harvesting.
• Perpetrators of Violence: Organized criminal syndicates and militias, especially traffickers hired to guide individuals to Europe, were identified as the main sources of violence. These traffickers deceive migrants about the risks they will encounter, demand additional payments once far from home, and offer minimal supplies such as food and water during the journey.
• Testimony of a Survivor: Teklebrhan Tefamariam Tekle, an Eritrean refugee currently residing in Sweden, shared his experience, stating, “I believed all the accidents happen at sea. The accidents are back there in the Sahara. It is full of Eritrean bodies. There you will find bones and skulls of dead people.”