Thousands of migrants have died at sea as a result of open border policies.
92% confidence
MigrationEuropean Union
Omissions
The MEP does not specify a time period: 'thousands' could refer to a single year or cumulative totals. Annual deaths have ranged between approximately 1,500 and 3,500 in the Mediterranean in recent years, while cumulative deaths since 2014 exceed 29,000 across all Mediterranean routes.
The causal attribution 'as a result of open border policies' is a political claim that is not independently verifiable. The relationship between migration policies and deaths at sea is subject to intense academic and political debate, with some research suggesting that restrictive policies may push migrants onto more dangerous routes.
Data from IOM and UNHCR differ slightly due to methodological differences in counting and classification: UNHCR reported 3,580 dead and missing in 2024 while IOM reported 2,532 for the same year.
Sources
PrimaryIOM Missing Migrants Project – DataDeaths during migration recorded since 2014, by region of incident: 2026, 1,270; 2025, 2,478; 2024, 2,532; 2023, 1,584. The Central Mediterranean route has recorded at least 26,727 deaths since 2014.
PrimaryIOM – Mediterranean Regional PageThe Central Mediterranean is the deadliest known migration route in the world, with tens of thousands of deaths and disappearances recorded by MMP since 2014.