The Migrant Disaster Victim Identification (MDVI) Action network was launched in late 2024 to enhance the identification of deceased migrants through innovative technologies and processes.

MDVI Action seeks to improve Europe's ability to address migrant deaths and foster collaborative research efforts to aid in identification.

Historically, the deaths of migrants were not classified as disaster victim identification incidents, complicating forensic protocols and data collection.

Investigators often struggle to identify deceased migrants due to the absence of identification documents and families' hesitance to contact authorities due to immigration concerns.

Efforts are underway to explore the legal use of 'secondary identifiers' such as facial features, birthmarks, and tattoos, which are currently not recognized for legal identification.

Research led by Wilkinson's team has achieved an impressive 85% accuracy rate in matching postmortem images of deceased migrants with their living relatives using facial recognition technology.

Dr. Tomasz Dabrowski has developed software that models ocean currents to predict where bodies may wash ashore, significantly aiding search and recovery operations.

New handheld scanners are being designed to assist first responders in capturing 3D images of deceased individuals, which can improve identification chances before decomposition occurs.

The UN's International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported at least 391 recorded deaths in the English Channel from 1999 to 2023, with 2024 already noted as the deadliest year.

The discovery of the body of a toddler named Artin Iran Nezhad on a Norwegian beach in October 2019 serves as a poignant reminder of the tragic fates faced by many migrants attempting to reach Europe.

Prof. Caroline Wilkinson, chair of MDVI Action, reported that over the past decade, at least 25,000 people have perished in the Mediterranean, with many bodies remaining unrecovered.

Tragically, only about 20% of the tens of thousands of migrants who die while attempting to reach Europe are formally identified, leaving countless families without closure.