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Identification of the deceased migrants from Mauritania, related to a shipwrecked vessel found in the coast of Trinidad and Tobago

Primary GCM Objectives

Secondary GCM Objectives

    19
    21

GCM Guiding Principles*

*All practices are to uphold the ten guiding principles of the GCM. This practice particularly exemplifies these listed principles.

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Dates

2021 - Present

Type of practice

Project/Programme

Summary

The case of the shipwrecked vessel found off the island of Tobago in May 2021, with 14 deceased persons' remains, has been closely followed by the ICRC. In response to a request for support from the Ministry of Foreign and CARICOM Affairs of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, the ICRC Delegations in Venezuela and Mauritania have mobilized multiple resources to locate and assist the communities and families presumably linked to the event. According to the information available, the vessel would have departed from Nouakchott, Mauritania, with approximately 40 passengers on board, coming from remote and difficult to access locations. The ICRC contacted and visited the families whose relatives, potentially, were aboard the shipwrecked boat. The ICRC met these families and collected their Tracing Request and Biological Reference Samples to compare with the genealogical material from the human remains found in Trinidad. A total of 51 samples were collected, related to 26 family groups. Subsequently, funds were allocated to cover the processing of the samples by a DNA laboratory that possess a vast experience in the analysis of DNA samples from large-scale events for identification purposes, with which the ICRC has a collaboration agreement. The results of the DNA profiles were shared with the Trinidad and Tobago Forensic Science Centre – the entity with a custody of the deceased recovered from the vessel and in charge of the analysis and identification of the remains. As a result, 7 of the 14 deceased found has already been identified. Currently, the Trinidad and Tobago authorities continue working on issuing the respective documentation to notify the families of the deceased, while the ICRC coordinates a mission to Mauritania to facilitate the transmission of this information to the families concerned. Worldwide, the ICRC supports persons living in uncertainty caused by not knowing the fate and whereabouts of their loved ones; and accompanies the process of searching for the family members who were separated or went missing in the context of armed violence, migration, or other humanitarian emergencies. Helping families to find answers is central to the humanitarian mandate of the ICRC and National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. It is within this framework that the ICRC Delegations in Venezuela and Mauritania carry out various activities to support the families of missing persons - including migrants deceased along perilous migratory routes - and to assist the corresponding authorities in the processes in favour of these families.

Organizations

Main Implementing Organization(s)

International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)

Detailed Information

ICRC Caracas Regional Delegation, ICRC Mauritania Delegation

Partner/Donor Organizations

Trinidad and Tobago Forensic Science Centre

Benefit and Impact

Families and communities affected by the uncertainty caused by not knowing the fate and whereabouts of their loved ones are supported in the search for and establishing contact with their missing relatives. This is done in accordance with the humanitarian principles of the ICRC and the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement network.
This particular experience of the collaboration between the forensic practitioners in Trinidad and Tobago and the ICRC with the families searching for their missing loved ones, allowed to clarify the fate and whereabouts of 7 deceased migrants. While tragic for the migrants concerned and their relatives, this event proved the relevance and a significant impact of joint work oriented at providing the relatives of missing migrants with information and a sense of closure. It also helped to bring attention to the global phenomenon of missing migrants and highlighted the importance of collaboration between humanitarian actors and forensic practitioners in resolving such cases.

Key Lessons

The importance of joint exchange and collaboration platforms in providing the information on fate and whereabout of the missing loved ones to the affected family members.

Recommendations(if the practice is to be replicated)

For authorities facing similar challenges consider the capacities of the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement to facilitate transnational cooperation on cases.

Innovation

A rare case of successful cooperation between the African and American continents in the identification of missing migrants.
It proves the importance of multi-stakeholder cooperation, in this case of the ICRC facilitating exchanges between concerned authorities and with families of the missing.

Additional Resources

Date submitted:

05 October 2023

Disclaimer: The content of this practice reflects the views of the implementers and does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations, the United Nations Network on Migration, and its members.

 

 

*References to Kosovo shall be understood to be in the context of United Nations Security Council resolution 1244 (1999).