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A newly released report by UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, the International Organization for Migration (IOM), and the Mixed Migration Centre (MMC) illuminates the harrowing challenges faced by refugees and migrants travelling through African land routes towards the Mediterranean coast.
Titled “On this journey, no-one cares if you live or die” (Volume 2), the report highlights pervasive violence, human rights abuses, and exploitation endured by migrants and refugees not only at sea but also across the vast African continent.
Over three years, the report documents a significant increase in the number of people undertaking perilous land crossings, driven by worsening conditions in their countries of origin and host nations. Factors such as new conflicts in regions like the Sahel and Sudan, the impact of climate change, and escalating racism and xenophobia exacerbate the risks faced by these vulnerable populations.
Of particular concern are the activities of criminal gangs, armed groups, and insurgent militias operating along migration routes. These actors engage in human trafficking, kidnapping for ransom, forced labour, sexual exploitation, and other forms of abuse, often targeting migrants and refugees traversing remote and hazardous terrains to evade conflict zones and border controls.
The report underscores a litany of atrocities experienced by migrants and refugees, including torture, physical violence, arbitrary detention, sexual violence, and enslavement. Perpetrators range from criminal groups to security forces and border guards, highlighting a broad spectrum of human rights violations.
Despite international commitments to protect vulnerable migrants and refugees, the report identifies substantial gaps in humanitarian assistance and protection. Insufficient funding, restricted access to critical locations such as informal detention centres, and inadequate support for survivors exacerbate the humanitarian crisis along these routes.
While acknowledging efforts by humanitarian organizations and some governments to provide life-saving services and assistance, the report emphasizes the urgent need for comprehensive, route-based protection measures. These measures should prioritize saving lives, addressing root causes of displacement, and creating safe migration pathways from countries of origin to destinations.
UNHCR, IOM, and MMC call for enhanced international action, including peacebuilding initiatives, human rights protection, climate resilience strategies, and equitable governance frameworks. They urge concerted efforts to address the drivers of irregular migration and displacement, advocating for holistic responses that span the continuum from origin to destination countries.
The organizations aim for the report to galvanize global action and policy changes to improve the response to the plight of migrants and refugees along these perilous routes.
