Following the shocking reports of the shipwreck off the coast of Greece, Daniela Reale, Senior Advocacy Advisor at Save the Children, said: 

“Reports of at least 78 migrants dead off the coast of Greece are shocking. According to initial testimonies from survivors, 100 children were in the hold, with the death toll expected to increase. 

“These deaths are tragically not unexpected. European countries have gone to extraordinary lengths to close off all routes to children and their families seeking safety. Often their only option is to take dangerous journeys by boat, and tragedies like this sinking are the inevitable, deadly result.” 

“The fact that people continue to die in the Mediterranean should be a wakeup call for governments like the UK, which risks doubling down on the approach of deterrence and containment, making these routes ever deadlier.” 

ENDS