refugees in the mediterranean

After the fall of Constantinople in 1453, the exiled Byzantine claimant Andreas Palaiologos bequeathed the imperial title in 1502 to Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella I of Castile. Though the Spanish monarchy theoretically inherited the Byzantine claim, it remained purely symbolic as Spain focused on Atlantic expansion and Mediterranean power rather than attempting to restore the fallen empire.

SOS Humanity marked its 10th anniversary by reporting the rescue of 68 people from unseaworthy boats in the Libyan search and rescue zone, highlighting the EU's outsourcing of migrant rescues. The organization criticized EU migration deals with Libya and Tunisia for human rights violations and called for a collective European sea rescue program.

British Prime Minister David Cameron relented to pressure from the EU on Friday and announced that the UK will take in many more Syrian refugees.

The UN human rights chief Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein has described the attacks against the Rohingya as a "textbook example of ethnic cleansing". Data reveals that the number of people fleeing Myanmar is now triple the number of refugees who have tried to enter Europe via the Mediterranean so far this year. The number of Rohingya refugees has also overtaken Mediterranean migrant numbers for the whole of 2016.

The UN human rights chief Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein has described the attacks against the Rohingya as a "textbook example of ethnic cleansing". Data reveals that the number of people fleeing Myanmar is now triple the number of refugees who have tried to enter Europe via the Mediterranean so far this year. The number of Rohingya refugees has also overtaken Mediterranean migrant numbers for the whole of 2016.

Pakistan's Senate has unanimously condemned Israeli PM Netanyahu's "hexagon of alliances" plan, viewing it as an effort to fracture Muslim unity. The resolution criticizes Israel's actions, including undermining Islamic nations' sovereignty and violating international law, while reaffirming support for an independent Palestinian state.

According to the United Nations Refugee Agency, over 2,500 people have died or gone missing while attempting to cross the Mediterranean to Europe this year. Despite the dangers, approximately 186,000 people have arrived in European countries during the same period. The majority of these arrivals, around 130,000 people, landed in Italy. The number of deaths and disappearances during the sea crossing has increased compared to last year.

Over 2,500 migrants have died or gone missing while attempting to cross the Mediterranean to Europe in 2023, according to a UN official. The number of deaths and disappearances has significantly increased compared to the same period in 2022. The land journey from sub-Saharan African countries to departure points in Tunisia and Libya remains extremely dangerous.

The Lebanese army and the country's civil defence recused early Saturday 27 migrants whose boat was sinking off the coast of north Lebanon, the military said in a statement. The army did not say where the migrants were heading nor did it give their nationalities.

The new head of the UN migration agency, Amy Pope, expressed concern over the normalization of deaths of migrants and refugees in the mediterranean. She emphasized the need to provide options for economic migration and to address the crisis comprehensively.

The United Nations refugee agency says over 700 migrants may have drowned in Mediterranean Sea shipwrecks south of Italy in the last few days as they tried to reach Europe. An estimated 100 people are missing from a smugglers' boat that capsized on Wednesday.

What’s the European migrant crisis?

Pope Francis headed to the Mediterranean island nation of Malta on Saturday for a pandemic-delayed weekend visit, aiming to draw attention to Europe's migration challenge that has only become starker with Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Francis is likely to encourage Europe's embrace of Ukrainian refugees.

Pope Francis will travel to Greece and the eastern Mediterranean island nation of Cyprus on a five-day trip next month, the Vatican confirmed Friday. The pope will visit Larnaca, Cyprus, from Dec. 2-4, before traveling to Greece, with stops in Athens and on the island of Lesbos, from December 4-6. The Vatican released no further details of the trip.

A non-profit rescue group has slammed Libya's coast guard and the European Union after it witnessed the Libyan maritime authorities chasing a crowded migrant boat and shooting in its direction in an apparent effort to stop it from crossing the Mediterranean Sea to Europe.

British authorities could not say whether they were refugees fleeing Syria or whether Cyprus was their intended destination.

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras on Wednesday said he would visit Turkey for key refugee talks this month as he called for the faster release of EU aid funds for the crisis.

Melissa Fleming writes a hopeful tale of a young Syrian refugee, Doaa al-Zamel, who is bravery personified.

A boat carrying African migrants capsized off Libya's coast Monday, leaving at least 57 people presumed dead, a UN migration official said. The vessel left the western coastal town of Khums on Sunday and there were at least 75 migrants on board, including women and children.

Visiting EU commissioner for the mediterranean Dubravka Suica said Thursday that a 175 million euro package for war-torn Syria was a "clear message" of support for its reconstruction. "I came here... with a clear message that we are here to assist and help Syria on its recovery,"in an interview on Thursday.

Italian Coastguards saved over 2000 Libyan migrants in 17 different operations in the Mediterranean. Around 14,000 people were taken off often flimsy vessels over the whole week. There is no official record of the casualities but the IOM estimates total Mediterranean deaths to be 1,475 this year.