The current status of Migrant Disaster Victim Identification in the Canary Islands

Abstract: This migrant disaster victim identification report is based on an 18-month British Academy funded project, which focused on the Canary Islands, clarifying the state of play of documentation and connections with West Africa: primarily with Senegal, which is described as the main origin of the migrants to the Canary Islands. With the collaboration of Italian and Spanish academics and the utilisation of Canarian data, the report interrogates the challenges associated with the identification of migrant victims off the coast of the Canary Islands through fostered networks in the Canary Islands and Senegal. Finally, the report presents craniofacial depiction/analysis as an alternative biological and biometric tool for Migrant Disaster Victim Identification (MDVI). This project did not involve the implementation of migrant identification and this will hopefully be achieved through follow-up projects. The report ends with a summary of the current status and provides recommendations for future MDVI.

Keywords: migrant, disaster, victim, identification, Canary Islands, Senegal.

Article posted to the Journal of the British Academy, volume 9, supplementary issue 8 (Climate, Disaster and Risk)