25 April 2015

The Mediterranean Migrant Crisis, by the Numbers

APRIL 20, 2015

The humanitarian crisis along Europe’s southern border seems to ebb and flow from the public consciousness with every mass drowning in the Mediterranean Sea. And with the news that as many as 700 people died when an overloaded boat headed from Libya to Italy capsized, European leaders are rushing to figure out a response to a crisis that shows no signs of slowing.

On Monday, the EU pledged to increase funds for Triton, the EU naval operation aimed at rescuing the migrants from Libya, Eritrea, Congo, and Syria who have left their countries in search of a better life in Italy but died before they reached its shores. On Thursday, European leaders will convene an emergency summit on the issue. But it’s not clear what they’ll be willing, or able, to actually do. The following figures, assembled by the InternationalOrganization for Migration, an intergovernmental organization, paint a picture of just how immense a challenge it is — and just how many lives hang in the balance.

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