Increasingly ruthless people smuggler operations using over-crowded, unsafe vessels is leading to a dramatic increase in drowning deaths among migrants trying to cross the Mediterranean this northern summer.

About 2,800 migrants have drowned attempting to cross the Mediterranean Sea so far this year, making it potentially one of the deadliest on record.

Halfway into the year, the number of dead has already reached about 1,000, more than during the same period last year, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

Last month, more than 1,000 migrants drowned as several ships sank.

The IOM says the reasons for the spike in death are complicated because there’s no discernable increase this year in the number of migrants on one of the main routes across the Mediterranean — from North Africa to Italy.

And in both last year and this, paradoxically more migrants died as the weather became warmer and the seas calmed, fueling hopes of a safer voyages.

The IOM points to the type of vessels being used to transport the migrants as one potential reason for the increase in deaths.

For example, in May, a boat without an engine capsized as it was being tugged by another vessel and more than 500 people were killed.

Flavio Di Giacomo, spokesman for the IOM in Italy said this type of smuggling operation was unprecedented.

“This is the first time I’ve seen something like it. Migrants being packed onto wooden boats that are unfit for navigation,” he said.

Previously, the most common vessels utilized were rubber dinghies.

Younger and more unscrupulous smugglers have resorted to jamming increasing numbers of people into the extremely unsafe boats, Mr Di Giacomo said.

“There is competition between smugglers groups. There are young people who are trying to become smugglers and gain money that way,” he said.

Many migrants are making the journey on larger wooden vessels, which can hold more people. Two shipwrecks on these bigger boats can result in as many as 800 deaths, Mr Di Giacomo said.

The IOM has reported that more than 200,000 refugees have traveled by sea this year and about 7,000 by land. About 150,000 arrived in Greece and about 50,000 in Italy.

The top nationalities arriving in Italy are from Eritrea, Nigeria, Sudan, Somalia, Ivory Coast and Gambia and the top nationalities arriving in Greece are from Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iran.

Last year, 475,000 Syrians and 205,000 Afghans traveled to Greece. Close to 75,000 Syrians and 40,000 Afghans have made the journey since May this year.

Other than drowning, most other known causes of death in the Mediterranean include asphyxiation, boat fires and exposure or hypothermia.

Laurie Nowell
AMES Australia Senior Journalist