Migrant and refugee movements through the Central Mediterranean sea - Joint Annual Overview 2022

UNHCR and IOM Joint Annual Overview 2022

In 2022, an estimated 144,200 attempts were reported by migrants and refugees to cross the Central Mediterranean Sea from Algeria, Libya, and Tunisia to Europe3. This was a 33% increase compared to known departures in 2021 and marks the highest number of departures since 2017. Of those who departed in 2022, 61% (87,700) were disembarked in Europe, while 39% of those who departed (56,500) were rescued or intercepted and disembarked in North Africa (19% in Tunisia, 17% in Libya and 3% in Algeria).

In 2022, more than 2,4005 migrants and refugees are known to have lost their lives or gone missing at sea while attempting to cross to Europe along the three Mediterranean routes (Eastern, Central and Western Mediterranean), an increase of 17% compared to some 2,050 deaths recorded in 2021. Most of those deaths in 2022 (59%) took place on the Central Mediterranean Route.