On 9th and 10th July 2025, a Rabat Process thematic meeting on Bridging the gaps: Advancing cooperation on Missing Migrants in the Rabat Process Region will take place in Banjul, The Gambia.

Co-chaired by Switzerland and The Gambia, the meeting will bring together representatives of partner countries and organisations of the Rabat Process alongside leading experts to advance the priorities set out under Area 3 of the Cadiz Action Plan, and notably Objective 5b “Promote actions to respect the dignity and the human rights of migrants and persons in need of protection” and Action 17, “Ensure that the disappearance of migrants is prevented, the fate and whereabouts of missing migrants is clarified and feedback is given regularly”.

Discussions will focus on identifying and promoting concrete policy and operational measures to prevent the tragedy of missing migrants, enhance the search for and identification of missing persons, and provide meaningful support to the families and communities affected.

This meeting will also mark the first in-person gathering of the Network of National Focal Point (NFPs) for Missing Migrants from across the Rabat Process region – offering a unique opportunity to further operationalise the Network, promote promising practices already underway, and explore evidence-based strategies that can save lives.

Bridging the gaps: Advancing cooperation on missing migrants in the Rabat Process region

The issue of missing migrants remains a pressing and complex humanitarian concern for partner countries of the Rabat Process and the international community at large.

Since 2014, at least 75,704 people - including over 3,400 children - have died or disappeared along migratory routes (according to data from the IOM’s Missing Migrants Project). In 2024 alone, 9,191 people were reported dead or missing, making it the deadliest year on record since 2014. The Mediterranean remains the most fatal migratory route, accounting for more than 32,127 of these tragedies over the past decade, while at least 17,142 people have died or gone missing crossing the African continent. These figures, though staggering, represent only a portion of the true scale of the crisis, as many deaths and disappearances go unrecorded.

Besides, while these numbers offer a glimpse into the magnitude of the crisis, they cannot fully reflect the human toll behind each loss - the futures interrupted, the families left in anguish, and the communities affected.

Migrants embark on perilous journeys for a multitude of reasons, including conflict, persecution, poverty, gender inequality, environmental degradation, the pursuit of decent working conditions, or the search for safety and security. Those compelled to migrate out of necessity rather than choice often encounter heightened risks of abuse, exploitation, and human rights violations. The combination of unsafe travel conditions and the actions of criminal networks preying on migrants’ distress can tragically lead to people going missing or losing their lives.

The impact of these disappearances extends far beyond lives lost. Families left behind often suffer profound psychological distress, particularly when the fate of their loved ones remains unknown. In the absence of certainty, they also find themselves in legal and administrative limbo - unable to exercise their rights over property, access social or pension benefits, or secure guardianship of children left behind. Such unresolved situations undermine family resilience and perpetuate cycles of vulnerability across generations.

In response to these pressing concerns, the Rabat Process serves as a vital and unique platform to foster regional and cross-border cooperation to address this humanitarian crisis. Through collaborative action across jurisdictions, partner countries can make a meaningful contribution to the prevention of migrant disappearances, the strengthening of identification and search, and alleviate the suffering of countless families still searching for answers.

The upcoming thematic meeting will be an important and timely opportunity to:

  • Share good practices and recommendations on the prevention and resolution of missing migrant cases.
  • Identify and discuss existing programmes, as well as transregional, regional and national processes and institutions involved in preventing and addressing migrant deaths and disappearances and supporting affected families.
  • Identify actionable steps to enhance the operational effectiveness of the Network of NFPs on missing migrants, by promoting regular exchanges and collaboration among focal points to strengthen international cooperation.

Background: Addressing the issue of missing migrants in the Rabat Process

In line with the implementation of the Cadiz Action Plan, Switzerland, together with The Gambia and with the support of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), convened the first-ever Thematic Meeting on the separation of families and missing persons in a migration situation, on 20–21 September 2023 in Geneva.

Building on the outcomes of this initial exchange, the upcoming meeting in Banjul will serve as a key moment to reaffirm the political commitment of Rabat Process partner countries to the prevention of loss of life along migratory routes, and to advance this shared priority through strengthened operational cooperation.