At least 56 migrants have died in separate shipwrecks off the coasts of Senegal and Greece over the weekend, the International Organisation for Migration, IOM, has said.
The organisation described the incidents as a grim reminder of the deadly risks migrants face along the Atlantic and Mediterranean routes.
IOM Director-General, Amy Pope, said the victims included parents and children who had left their homes in search of better opportunities.
“These were mothers, fathers, sons and daughters, people who left home hoping for a better life.
“Smugglers and traffickers charged them for a dangerous journey on boats that were not fit for the sea. These networks profit from desperation, and every day they operate, more lives are put at risk.
“Countries must go after them together and give people safe, legal ways to move. Our hearts are with every family waiting for news,” Pope said.
Off north-western Senegal, at least 34 people died on Friday when a boat carrying migrants capsized near Loumpoul, between Dakar and Saint-Louis.
One survivor was rescued, while an unknown number of people remained missing as search operations continued. The death toll was still provisional.
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In two separate incidents south of Crete, at least 22 migrants died after boats that had departed from eastern Libya encountered difficulties at sea.
In the first incident, Greek authorities rescued 28 Sudanese migrants and recovered eight bodies, while several people were reported missing.
In the second incident, 18 survivors were rescued and 14 bodies recovered after a cargo ship spotted the distressed vessel.
IOM said increasing arrivals along the eastern Libya-Crete route to mainland Europe this year, combined with gaps in search and rescue capacity, had heightened concerns about the dangers facing migrants.
The organisation also disclosed that it had recorded at least 454 deaths and disappearances along the Western African Atlantic Route as of October 26.
It warned that the figure represented a minimum estimate because many boats disappear without survivors or trace.
IOM added that departures along the route had increasingly shifted southwards towards The Gambia, Guinea and Guinea-Bissau, resulting in longer journeys and exposing migrants to greater dangers at sea.
The organisation called for sustained cooperation among countries of origin, transit and destination, including coordinated search and rescue operations and assistance for survivors and families of missing migrants.
It also urged governments to intensify efforts against human smuggling networks and expand safe and regular migration pathways.
NAN
