Ratio of deaths in the Mediterranean Sea increases as new discussions on migration policies unfold in the EU

News about shipwrecks, returns or disembarkation of boats carrying migrants and refugees across the Mediterranean Sea is reported at least weekly, but more often daily, in international newspapers. This often includes loss of life, adding up to hundreds of people every year. The constant flow of information can numb one to the sheer frequency and numbers of deaths and missing people at sea. In the wake of the new Migration Pact proposed by the European Commission, experts warn that some EU policies may increase the risk for migrants and refugees.

Experts state that COVID-19 and mobile money services have changed the modus operandi of criminal networks trafficking and smuggling people

A panel of experts on migration, human trafficking and smuggling, and the rise of mobile money services came together to discuss the changes they have seen emerging with the rise of COVID-19 and the growth of money mobile services within the criminal networks. However, the experts also agree that the pandemic presents a chance to reflect on the role of technology and the fight against human trafficking. The experts argue that protection should be key and that prosecution, in new and innovative ways, should focus on the quality of arrests, not quantity. Just as criminal groups take advantage of increased interconnectivity, so can the efforts taken to stop their exploitation.

News Highlights: Floods in Sudan and Ethiopia, Libyan Prime Minister Al-Sarraj to resign, Greece denies relocation to refugees from Moria

In this week’s news highlights: 27 religious prisoners released on bail in Eritrea; Heavy floods in Sudan and Ethiopia; Six killed after bomb attack in Somalia; Ethiopian refugees repatriated from Saudi detention camps; Boat capsizes in front of Libyan coast; Prime Minister of Libya Al-Sarraj to resign; Greece pledges to build a new refugee centre on Lesbos; Germany takes in 1,500 refugees, but Greece says it will not let any leave; Migrants and refugees allowed to disembark from Maersk Etienne; Health care declined for migrants on Open Arms; and Report explores the implementation of the Global Compact on Migration amidst COVID-19.