Dot maps can be a powerful way to convey the scale of large numbers. But when each dot represents a human life, there’s a risk that the individual stories behind those numbers will be lost. Reuters’ latest visualization of European migration tackles this challenge head-on: instead of starting with statistics, it begins with a close-up of a single overcrowded boat, allowing viewers to see the people on board before zooming out to reveal the thousands who have died or disappeared while attempting to cross the Mediterranean Sea.
Reuters’ latest story on migration routes to Europe features a striking 3D visualization of a boat full of migrants. This close-up view of a 3D model then seamlessly transitions to an overhead map view, showing the boat adrift in the Mediterranean Sea. By beginning with a realistic depiction of people precariously packed into a small vessel, the piece powerfully humanizes the thousands of yellow dots on the map - each representing a migrant who has died or disappeared while attempting to cross the Mediterranean since 2015.
Last year, at least 3,812 people died while trying to reach Europe. In Stranded at Sea, Reuters explains how Europe’s renewed focus on deterring migrant crossings has left distress calls unanswered by government agencies. At the same time, Italy has introduced policies aimed at limiting the number of NGO rescues in the Mediterranean.
Towards the end of the article, Reuters returns to its 3D model to show how the overloaded boat set off from Libya with an engine too small for the number of passengers on board and with insufficient fuel to reach its intended destination. Illustrations of the boat also highlight how, because the vessel was so overcrowded, it sat lower in the water and was therefore more easily overwhelmed by waves that at this time of year “can be up to around two metres high.”
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