MEDITERRANEAN: New data reveals large number of deaths in 2024 ― Controversy surrounding recent shipwreck and pushbacks continues in Cyprus ― Two key rulings in favour of people seeking asylum in Greece ― New plans for Italy’s detention centres in Alba…

• International Organization for Migration (IOM) data reveals that 2,452 people lost their lives in the Mediterranean in 2024
• The Cypriot government has refused to investigate recent pushbacks despite a journalist’s offer to present key evidence.
• The Greek Council of State has annulled a ministerial decision characterising Türkiye as a ‘safe third country’ for people seeking asylum from five countries while the European Court of Human Rights has condemned the Hellenic Coastguard for the causing the death of an Iraqi minor.
• The Italian government is exploring the possibility of converting its detention facilities in Albania into repatriation centres.
• A search and rescue NGO has alleged that Undersecretary of State Alfredo Mantovano has admitted that Italian secret services authorised the use of spyware surveillance to monitor its members.
• The Maltese prime minister has announced that he plans to prioritise reforming human rights conventions during his country’s presidency of the Council of Europe.

New data has revealed that 2024 was the deadliest year on record for people on the move. According to the data, which was published by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) on 21 March, of the 8,938 recorded fatalities worldwide in 2024, at least 2,452 occurred in the Mediterranean. Although there were 233 fewer recorded deaths in the Mediterranean in 2024 compared to the previous year (3,155), the IOM stated that “the large number shows the need for adequate search and rescue systems as well as the need for safe and regular migration routes as alternatives to this risky journey”. There have been 343 recorded deaths in the Mediterranean in the first three months of 2025 and 31,724 since the IOM began collecting data on them in 2014. The IOM also acknowledges that the actual number of deaths and disappearances is likely to be much higher, as many more have gone undocumented.

The controversy surrounding a recent shipwreck and accusations of pushbacks in Cyprus has continued to grow.  On 20 March, Minister of Defence Vasilis Palmas rejected the accusations levelled against the government about the recent incidents that resulted in the deaths of at least seven people and the forced return of 80 others. “These allegations made against the competent authorities of the republic do not exist”, Palmas said whilst also ruling out any investigation. Palmas also said that his country was not “an unfortified democracy” but one with bodies and institutions that “absolutely respect maritime law and international law”. Meanwhile, journalist Constantinos Constantinou, who had revealed the evidence that had led to the pushback accusations, has released a statement in which he countered Minister of Justice and Public Order Marios Hartsiotis’ claim that the evidence was “of dubious quality and origin” and contained “inaccurate facts”. Constantinou clarified that all of the material that he had shared – with the exception of one photograph whose validity was uncertain – definitively related to the incident in question. He also expressed his readiness to testify and to present all of the evidence if the Attorney General were to appoint an investigative committee.

There have been two significant rulings in favour of people asylum in Greece. On 21 March, the Greek Council of State annulled a joint ministerial decision designating Türkiye as a “safe country” for refugee applicants from Syria, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Somalia. As a result, people from those countries who apply for asylum in Greece will no longer face automatic returns to Türkiye. The case was brought by two ECRE member organisations, Refugee Support Aegean (RSA) and the Greek Council for Refugees. RSA told ECRE: “This decision comes as a self-evident and resounding response from justice, putting a stop to the long-standing and systematic violation of our country’s obligations through the denial of protection to refugees”. Elsewhere, the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) has condemned Greece over the death of an Iraqi minor, who was shot  by the Hellenic Coast Guard near Symi in August 2015. The court ruled that coastguard officers had failed to prioritise protecting the lives of passengers during the operation, consequently breaching the right to life under Article 2 of the European Convention on Human Rights. Commenting on the ruling, Marianna Tzeferakou, an RSA lawyer who was involved in the case, said: “This decision is not about an isolated incident”. “Other pending cases before the ECtHR concerning coastguard operations, including pushbacks, as well as the ongoing investigation before the Greek prosecutorial authorities regarding the deadly shipwreck off Pylos, highlight the same fundamental violation by the Greek authorities,” she added.

The Italian government is exploring the possibility of converting its detention facilities in Albania into repatriation centres (CPRs). On 24 March, Minister of the Interior Matteo Piantedosi said: “The Albanian centres could help strengthen the repatriation system for irregular migrants who have no right to remain in Italy”. He added that that they could be turned into CPRs at no additional cost as they were already set up for deportations. Later on the same day, however, Piantedosi seemed to contradict his earlier statement when he said that the centres could not be transformed into CPRs as “one already exists within a multipurpose facility”. “We only need to activate it as soon as possible,” he added. Critics have raised doubts about the feasibility of the government’s plans to repurpose the two centres, not least due to the need for an amendment to the Italy-Albania Protocol. The government is reportedly preparing an “Albania Decree” to be discussed at a cabinet meeting on 28 March.

The search and rescue NGO Mediterranea Saving Humans has alleged that Undersecretary of State Alfredo Mantovano has admitted that Italian secret services did in fact authorise the use of spyware surveillance to monitor its members. In a press release issued on 26 March, the organisation said that it had been considered a “threat to national security”. The Italian government had previously denied any involvement in the phone hacking scandal.

The Maltese prime minister has announced that he plans to prioritise reforming human rights conventions during his country’s presidency of the Council of Europe (CoE). Robert Abela made the announcement during a meeting on migration issues with leaders from 14 EU member states that took place before the latest European Council meeting on 20 March. He said that his proposal had been received with interest and that it was intended to reflect current migration realities. “Our country always was, is and will be at the forefront of strengthening human rights,” he said, adding: “But only where this is deserved”. His remarks have sparked controversy and criticism. A government source expressed surprise at Abela’s proposal, noting that its content had not been included in the priorities for Malta’s CoE presidency that Minister for Foreign Affairs Ian Borg had presented in February. The chair of the centre-left Momentum party, Arnold Cassola, described Abela’s declaration as “very serious” and linked it to “moves that right-wing governments in Europe are undertaking to ride roughshod over human rights provisions when tackling the migration issue”. He also called for clarification from the prime minister but none was provided. The  Daphne Caruana Galizia Foundation described the proposal as a “new low” for Malta while ECRE member organisation the aditus Foundation said that it was “extremely worrying and embarrassing” that the incoming CoE chair would opt for “populism, exclusion and sheer obliviousness”. In a press release issued on 25 March, the aditus Foundation called on Malta to “use its leadership of the Council of Europe to strengthen respect of this valuable instrument, instead of killing it to suit populistic and very dangerous agenda”.

Related articles