1,200 Dead in the Mediterranean: Europe’s Open-Border Policies in the Dock

French lawmaker and National Rally vice-president Edwige Diaz described “this human tragedy” as entirely preventable.

Rescued migrants from 3 boats crossing the Mediterranean from North Africa to Europe, on Dec. 21, 2018. Olmo Calvo /AP

In Europe, the year 2026 has brought grim new records to the Mediterranean. According to the International Organization for Migration, more than 1,200 migrants have died or gone missing at sea since January.

Nearly 1,000 of those deaths were recorded in the first quarter alone, the deadliest start to a year since the agency began collecting data in 2014. Five ships were wrecked between late March and early April, claiming more than 180 lives in a single week.