Imagine you were a commuter and every single time you catch your bus to work one person dies en route. 1 in 46 people died crossing the Central Mediterranean in 2016, that is 3452 humans in 2016 alone. Last year it was 1 in 54. It is getting more dangerous and we really need to ask ourselves: why?

It would be even more dangerous if private rescue boats such as those by MSF and MOAS were not there. In the first five months of 2016, when rescue operations were handled almost exclusively by Frontex/EU boats the death rate was even higher, a staggering 4.3%, that is 1 death for every 23 arrivals. One death for each half empty bus.

MEDMIG final report will be launched tomorrow in Brussels

The Independent runs a exclusive on our study today: Refugee crisis: European leaders blamed for record high deaths in the Mediterranean