On 28 November 2024, the Network of National Focal Points for Missing Migrants convened for its second meeting to present a number of current and highly successful practices carried out by authorities in different countries to search for and identify missing migrants. Organised by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and co-convened by Switzerland and The Gambia with support from the Rabat Process Secretariat, the online meeting brought together almost 50 participants, including representatives from 20 partner countries of the Rabat Process and from relevant international organisations, including the Council of Europe, UNHCR and IOM. 

With 17 countries now officially part of the Network and more expected to join soon, the initiative aims to become a practical tool to ease the suffering of missing migrants and their families. The meeting focused on practical solutions for identifying and locating missing individuals, while underscoring the critical role of cross-border partnerships and cooperation in supporting affected families and missing migrants.

Addressing migrant identification and support: challenges, lessons learned, and future solutions based on concrete initiatives in Europe and Africa

The session provided an opportunity for the Commander of the Hellenic Police Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) Team, Lt. Col. Pantelis Themelis, to share his insights into Greece's response to the 2023 shipwreck near Pylos, where a vessel carrying 750 migrants tragically sank in the Mediterranean. Established in 2018 under INTERPOL protocols, the Hellenic Police DVI Team led efforts to recover and identify victims through body tagging, fingerprint collection, and survivor interviews, supported by a multilingual call centre to communicate with families. Collaboration with embassies, NGOs, and international DVI teams was vital, though challenges like language barriers and limited resources in migrants' countries of origin hindered operations. To address these challenges, Greece emphasised the importance of strengthening DVI expertise in countries of origin and establishing official points of contact to enhance the collection of ante mortem data. Switzerland’s National Co-Focal Point for Missing Migrants and member of the Federal Office of Police echoed the need for centralised DNA databases like INTERPOL’s, while noting that legal barriers to cross-border DNA data sharing remain a significant obstacle. This case underscores the need for political will, resources, and international cooperation to address the identification of missing migrants more effectively.

Djibouti's efforts in documenting deceased migrants were highlighted by the Director of the National Police Health Service in Djibouti, Col. Dr. Samatar Hassan Farah, who presented the country's policies to assist migrants transiting through its territory and to search for the ones who have gone missing. Djibouti’s national approach prioritises humanitarian assistance over enforcement, offering healthcare, support, and safe return services to migrants. The National Committee for the Management of Mortal Remains leads efforts to collect ante mortem and postmortem data including for recovered bodies of migrants, enabling dignified burials and closure for families. Regional committees, supported by local communities, health centres, border guards, police officers and organisations like the Djibouti Red Crescent Society, play a crucial role in these operations. Despite these initiatives, Djibouti faces challenges with limited data-sharing channels with neighbouring countries including the obtention of relevant data from the families of missing migrants to allow for the identification of recovered bodies. Recommendations include increasing assistance to migrants in transit in Djibouti and search capacity for the ones who go missing while enhancing cross-border collaboration and providing better resources to strengthen these efforts.

As member of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, Julian Pahlke highlighted the main findings and recommendations of his report and the resolution on “Missing migrants, refugees and asylum seekers – A call to clarify their fate” that was passed in October 2024. The report emphasises the need for proactive interventions to recover survivors and bodies at sea, centralised data systems for identification with the necessary capacity and legal framework, strict data regulations, and measures to support grieving families, including facilitating their travel and visa access to countries where their relatives are buried. These recommendations aim to be transformed into a practical roadmap in member states. To this end, a conference will be held in Strasbourg between April and June 2025.

Recognising that families are central to the search and identification of missing migrants, the Network explored national-level initiatives like those in Senegal. Pape Lamine Diop, Technical Advisor to the Ministry of African Integration and Foreign Affairs, described the country’s strategies to reduce irregular migration and prevent tragic losses. Through the Orientation and Support Offices (Bureaux d’orientation et de suivi - BOS), Senegal gathers information at the community level from families whose relatives have gone missing along the migratory routes to Europe. These offices provide them with the needed support, including psychosocial assistance, and collaborate with national and international organisations such as the ICRC, to collect ante mortem data.

The Network looking ahead

The Network of National Focal Points for Missing Migrants will build on these discussions in its next online meeting, scheduled for the first quarter of 2025, focusing on strengthening international collaboration and exploring innovative solutions for identifying missing migrants.

As the upcoming Chair of the Rabat Process for 2025, Nigeria affirmed its commitment to advancing these efforts and fostering regional collaboration to improve identification and support systems. A dedicated Thematic Meeting will also be scheduled in Banjul, The Gambia, in 2025, co-chaired by The Gambia and Switzerland, to further explore the topic. The members of the Network of National Focal Points for Missing Migrants, along with regional and international organisations, will be invited to participate and contribute to the discussions.