Death at Sea: Migration from North Africa to Europe
By Kleshie Manyo-Plange ’28
Every year, thousands of people leave North Africa and attempt to cross the Mediterranean Sea in hopes of reaching Europe. The Western Mediterranean route, which connects countries like Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia to Spain, is among the most persistent of these migration routes into Europe. According to the Mixed Migration Centre in North Africa, thousands of people continue to travel this route, even as European border enforcement has intensified in several coastal areas. Behind these stories and journeys are decisions shaped by a combination of economic pressure and limited opportunities, as individuals seek to enter the European Union by sailing via the 970,000-square-mile body of water that separates the two continents.
Migration from North Africa is driven by a complex set of factors, but economic insecurity stands out as a primary force, especially for young people confronting unemployment or precarious work in countries such as Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia. Environmental pressures further intensify this dynamic—declining agricultural productivity linked to global warming has eroded rural livelihoods, pushing many to look elsewhere for stability. At the same time, widespread uncertainty about long-term opportunities for both individuals and families has shaped a growing perception that migration to the “other world” may be the only possible path to a better life.
These present-day pressures to migrate sit alongside a larger and longer history of movement between North Africa and Europe. This migration across the Mediterranean is rooted in a history of political and economic connections between the two continents. During the period of French colonization of Algeria, significant exchange took place between North Africa and Europe, and movement between Algeria and France became very common, particularly for labour. These patterns continued after independence, as workers from North Africa migrated to Europe. The history of colonial influence and migration movements has created a diaspora network that still influences migration today. In this context, these crossings have been shaped by history, as the Mediterranean serves as both a barrier and a bridge between two regions whose economies and social ties were formed through colonial and postcolonial relationships.
Today, however, the journey itself is extremely dangerous, exposing the need for change and reform. Migrants typically travel in small inflatable boats or overcrowded boats operated by smuggling networks, often with little safety equipment and unreliable navigation. According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), at least 2,185 people died or went missing in the Mediterranean in 2025 alone, with the real number likely higher due to limited search-and-rescue coverage and underreporting. The IOM estimates that the actual toll may be at least 1,500 higher and reports that at least 270 human remains washed ashore along Mediterranean coasts in 2025, showing how many incidents go undocumented. Despite its danger, though, this migration takes place consistently, regardless of regulation. Frontex, the European Border and Coast Guard Agency, has explained that increased control in one area often leads to new departure points along the same coastline rather than an overall reduction in migration.
Earlier incidents also demonstrate the scale of movement through this body of water and its persistence over time. In 2021, CNN reported that around 6,000 migrants crossed from Morocco into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta in a single journey, with some people swimming around the foreland to reach European territory. In the process, one man drowned during the crossing, while others, including children and teenagers, made it across the short, dangerous stretches of water. European responses to these hazardous crossings have included border enforcement and communication agreements with North African governments, which have led to search-and-rescue systems at these borders and marine patrols, as explained by Frontex. However, these measures have reshaped the routes rather than reduced migration itself. When surveillance increased in one area, more departures shifted along the coast, particularly between Algeria and Morocco toward southern Spain.
Migration across the Mediterranean reflects a combination of social and political issues, historical connections, and decision-making under constraint. The Mediterranean and its migration continue to function both as a border and a bridge that connects North Africa and Europe.