Chapter 1 Migrant Deaths: An International Overview
with the support of Arezo Malakooti. Along these routes, there is no coordinated mechanism for recording migrant fatalities. However, the testimonies of survivors allude to the frequency of death. Along routes from Western and Central Africa, migrants tend to die from the dangers inherent in crossing challenging terrain, such as from dehydration and exhaustion. In other cases, death occurs when migrants get lost in the desert, are left stranded by facilitators or are crammed into overcrowded vehicles. Along routes from the Horn, similar dangers exist, although reports suggest the greater involvement of criminal activities in causing deaths, including outright murder and kidnapping. Chapter 5 discusses deaths of migrants leaving the Horn of Africa and travelling to Yemen or southwards in the direction of South Africa. Christopher Horwood describes the complexity of migration flows in the region and highlights that migration experiences tend to be characterized by hardship, neglect, victimization and at times death. Deaths occurring in the Gulf of Aden and Red Sea are relatively well-documented, at least over the past decade. Challenges associated with documenting deaths of irregular migrants at sea are further complicated by the involvement of smugglers and other criminals, at times waiting on the shores of Yemen to take migrants onwards. On land routes southwards or to the coasts of Djibouti and Puntland, injury, illness and death are common. Again, the placement of irregular migration within a strong smuggling network and the involvement of other criminals and corrupt State officials further problematizes the process of counting the dead. The final chapter looks at deaths of migrants and asylum-seekers travelling to Australia, raising questions of accountability, responsibility and the importance of improved data in working towards compassionate and effective response. Drawing on data from the Australian Border Deaths Database, authors Leanne Weber and Sharon Pickering present available information on numbers of deaths, causes, and profiles of those who die, including gender-specific vulnerabilities. In the process, they address social and methodological challenges that arise when counting and accounting for deaths. The authors explore the value in counting the dead, noting that while underlying causes and responsibility for deaths are not easily explained or identified, numbers provide a starting point for dialogue and debate, ultimately prompting greater accountability, justice and more effective response.
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