TRUST
TRUST connects people, information and institutions across borders to help turn uncertainty into answers.
Every year, thousands of migrants go missing along migratory routes to and within the European Union, leaving their families in prolonged uncertainty and emotional suffering. Despite references in EU strategies to humane migration governance, there is still no comprehensive, coordinated and rights-based response to the issue of missing and deceased migrants.
85 230
disappearances during migration processes since 2014
1 733
disappearances in the Mediterranean
1 499
disappearances in Europe
The issue of missing migrants – understood as people whose families have no news after losing contact with them during migration, whether they are alive or deceased and unidentified – remains a largely unaddressed humanitarian crisis within the European Union. This situation causes profound suffering for families, in addition to creating legal and administrative hurdles. It also presents complex challenges for national authorities in terms of identification, legal response, and the dignified management of human remains.
TRUST aims to strengthen the capacity of European Union Member States to ensure a more effective, coordinated and humane response to cases of missing and deceased migrants and their families by improving national and transnational reporting, search and identification mechanisms.
The TRUST project, led by the Italian Red Cross in partnership with the Red Cross National Societies of France, Portugal and Sweden, and with the International Committee of the Red Cross in an advisory role, will develop scalable national models and promote a European community of practice. TRUST combines legal, forensic and community-based approaches to strengthen institutional capacities, facilitate access to safe reporting mechanisms, enhance cooperation among key stakeholders and amplify the voices of affected families.
The project will map existing practices, identify gaps and deliver targeted capacity-building activities for authorities and civil society. It will promote dialogue among actors involved in search and identification processes, develop outreach and psychosocial support for families, and produce concrete recommendations to improve policies and legislation. Activities will be tailored to each national context while remaining aligned with common European Union principles.
When someone goes missing, an entire family is left in limbo.
Project stages
Where it is implemented
TRUST is implemented in four European countries, each with different migration realities, legal frameworks and institutional responses.
Italian Red Cross
Experience in maritime contexts and identification processes related to shipwrecks.
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