Over 11,000 crossed Mediterranean to reach Italy in 2024

As many as 11,231 Bangladeshis reached Italy via the Mediterranean Sea between January and October last year, an increase from 10,152 during the same period in 2023, according to a recent UNHCR report.

Of last year's migrants, 11,091 left Libya, a key departure point on the perilous central Mediterranean route that frequently garners international attention due to fatal shipwrecks.

The report, published on January 3, as part of UNHCR's "Italy Sea Arrivals Dashboard" for October 2024, highlighted that Bangladeshis topped the list of migrants and refugees reaching Italy during the first 10 months of the year.

This increase occurred despite a significant overall decline in arrivals to Italy, which fell by 62 percent -- from 1,44,098 people in 2023 to 55,413 in 2024. Between January and December 2023, 12,774 Bangladeshis made the journey to Italy by sea.

Experts in Bangladesh's labour migration sector attribute the continued flow of irregular migrants to traffickers operating within the country, who often face little to no legal repercussions.

"Trafficking groups remain active in Bangladesh, targeting vulnerable communities in new areas. They largely enjoy impunity," said Shakirul Islam, chairperson of the Ovibashi Karmi Unnayan Programme.

He added that the closure of regular migration pathways, such as the Italian government's seasonal workers category, has driven many to risk the dangerous sea crossing.

"Creating regular migration pathways is essential to curbing irregular migration," he said.

A Bangladesh Embassy official in Tripoli, wishing anonymity, said migrants often exploit Libya's fragile political situation to embark on voyages to Italy, with traffickers who bring them to Libya often through Dubai and Egypt.

The report also said that 5,722 people reached Italy by sea in October 2024, with Syrians accounting for 20 percent arrivals, followed by Bangladeshis at 15 percent.

Between January and October 2024, the top nationalities arriving in Italy included Syrians (10,559), Tunisians (7,289), Egyptians (3,637), Guineans (3,039), and Pakistanis (2,325).

In terms of countries of embarkation, 33,799 migrants departed from Libya during the first 10 months of 2024, followed by 17,497 from Tunisia, 3,048 from Turkey, and 1,069 from Algeria.