Rescue operation launched after eight migrants die off coast of Djibouti, IOM says

Published on 11/06/2025 - 18:31 GMT+2

The UN migration agency said connected Wednesday that 8 migrants died and 22 others are missing aft they were forced disconnected a vessel adjacent nan seashore of Djibouti.

The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) said successful a connection nan migrants were portion of a group of 150 who were forced by smugglers to disembark a vessel and aquatics to statement connected 5 June.

The migrants were recovered successful nan godforsaken by IOM patrol teams and taken to a migrant consequence centre.

The IOM and authorities successful Djibouti are continuing pinch a hunt and rescue cognition to find nan missing migrants.

"Every life mislaid astatine oversea is simply a calamity that should ne'er happen," Celestine Frantz, nan IOM Regional Director for nan East, Horn and Southern Africa, said.

Frantz said that nan migrants were "forced into intolerable choices by smugglers who show nary respect for quality life."

Thousands of migrants from African, Middle Eastern and South Asian countries seeking a amended life successful Europe attempt irregular migration each year.

People smugglers battalion vessels afloat of hopeless group consenting to consequence their lives to scope continental Europe.

Most of nan vessels get migrants crossed nan Red Sea to Gulf countries earlier they proceed further to European nations.

Yemen is a major way for migrants from East Africa and nan Horn of Africa trying to scope Gulf countries for work, pinch hundreds of thousands attempting nan way each year.

However Frontex, nan EU's outer separator protection agency, reported a 31% driblet successful forbidden migrant crossings successful nan first 4th of 2025 compared to nan aforesaid play 1 twelvemonth ago.

Crossings fell to astir 33,600 pinch a diminution reported crossed each azygous way starring to Europe.

A important drop, astir 30%, was observed connected nan Western African route, which connects Senegal, Mauritania, The Gambia and Western Sahara to Spain's Canary Islands.

Similarly, a 29% autumn was reported successful crossings on nan Eastern Mediterranean route, mostly starring to Cyprus, Greece and Bulgaria from Afghanistan, Sudan and Egypt.

The 3rd sharpest fall, -26%, was connected nan Central Mediterranean route, from occidental and cardinal Africa done Niger and Libya crossed nan Central Mediterranean towards Europe, successful peculiar Italy.