Unspeakable dangers for migrants crossing the Sahara

A harrowing United Nations report, spotlighted by the Associated Press, reveals the severe dangers migrants face on their journey to Europe. While the perils of the Mediterranean are well-known, the earlier phase across the Sahel and Sahara proves even deadlier, doubling the mortality risk and shedding light on an urgent yet overlooked crisis.

Unseen dangers on land

“Everyone that has crossed the Sahara can tell you of people they know who died in the desert, whereas you interview people in Lampedusa: Not that many people will tell you about people they know who … died at sea.” – Vincent Cochetel, UNHCR special envoy

Over 72,400 migrants have sailed across the Mediterranean in 2024 alone, with at least 785 known to be dead or missing. However, tracking the number of migrants crossing the Sahel and Sahara proves even more challenging. Recorded deaths in these regions reached at least 1,180 from January 2020 to May 2024, but the true number is believed to be much higher. As migrants traverse northward, they encounter criminal gangs that exploit them through enslavement, organ removal, rape, and kidnapping for ransom, making the Sahara crossing a deadly yet less visible crisis.

Trafficking and exploitation along the way

The journey through these terrains exposes migrants to human trafficking, forced labor, and severe sexual exploitation, with reports noting an increase in these abuses. Women, constituting about one-third of the adult migrants, face extreme risks, including an estimated 90 percent experiencing sexual violence. Many are coerced into sex work or forced marriages, and disturbing accounts include migrants waking up to find themselves victims of organ harvesting. The report states:

“Refugees and migrants are increasingly traversing areas where insurgent groups, militias and other criminal actors operate, and where human trafficking, kidnapping for ransom, forced labor and sexual exploitation are rife.”

Driving forces and European hostility

Instability in countries like Mali and Burkina Faso drives migrants toward the Mediterranean, while anti-immigrant sentiment in Europe shapes policies that endanger them further. European efforts to prevent sea crossings often result in migrants being pushed back into the desert without support, risking more lives.

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