Forensic anthropological Identification to Name the Dead Migrants in Europe

2026-07-22

FIND ME addresses the pressing humanitarian and forensic challenge of identifying deceased migrants who have perished in or at the borders of Europe. As migration flows increase, so does the number of unidentified bodies, posing significant difficulties for both authorities and families. Today’s forensic pillars of identification such as DNA are failing to identify economically disadvantaged groups and migrants, because dental charts and fingerprints of these missing persons, as well as DNA from their personal belongings or close relatives, are frequently unattainable. This calls for the development of alternative identification models, at the moment inexistent, to exploit the most frequent element available in humanitarian scenarios from both unidentified cadavers and missing persons: photographs. FIND ME proposes to advance the field of forensic identification by focusing on the anthropological analysis of morphological features of the face. These have the potential to generate robust statistical models that support legal certainty, adhering to the rigorous standards required in forensic contexts. By developing new methodologies that incorporate these features, the project seeks to provide a scientifically sound and ethically responsible model of identification that can be applied in a wide range of scenarios, including those involving humanitarian mass fatalities. FIND ME underscores the ethical imperative to restore dignity to the deceased and recognizes the profound implications of unidentified remains. The project's outcomes will contribute to the broader goal of ensuring justice, fostering the human rights of widows and orphans whose lives are tragically influenced by the lack of death certificates, and assisting the mental health of those experiencing the trauma of ambiguous loss. Ultimately, FIND ME seeks to bridge the gap between forensic science and human rights, offering a viable solution to one of the most pressing issues in global migration today.

Italy

2026-02-01