Exactly one year ago today, Malta was dealing with the aftermath of yet another horrific tragedy in the Mediterranean Sea. Hundreds of men, women and children had lost their lives – most of them never to be found – while 146 of the people who were rescued were brought to Malta.

The story of each and every one of the survivors presents an agonising account of loss and devastation.

Yet, smugglers continue to drive a cynical gamble with lives: so far this year more than 3,000 people have died at sea. The Mediterranean, once synonymous mainly with recreation and natural beauty, is now also becoming known for the deadliest waters on earth.

We cannot let ourselves become numb to these numbers. Something can be done.

On our part, UNHCR has developed a Central Mediterranean Sea Initiative, which proposes 12 concrete steps to address challenges within the EU, in countries of transit and in regions of origin.

These are complex and interlinked issues. Unfortunately, there is no quick fix.

Multiple countries and organisations have to pursue both immediate actions and long-term strategies. One will not be effective without the other.

Meanwhile, information campaigns are being developed to warn potential victims about the real risks of placing one’s fate in the hands of unscrupulous smugglers. But such knowledge will only make a difference to those who consider they actually have a choice.

Make no mistake about it – for most people, the official doors to Europe are firmly closed. That is why so many who are in need of protection are desperate enough to risk their lives at sea.

Against this backdrop, the die-hard characterisation of the same people as “illegal migrants” is a striking misperception.

Refugees and beneficiaries of protection are not ‘merely’ migrants. They move through compulsion, not on the basis of meaningful choice.

Their objective is to seek safety from persecution, or from war and widespread violence.

Refugees are, because of their precarious security situation and because of the absence of protection in their own countries, beneficiaries of clearly articulated and internationally endorsed rights. And the manner of their arrival does not impinge on these rights.

With Libya still in shambles and the future of the Mare Nostrum operation imminently in question, this is no time for complacency

This is why the coupling of the words ‘illegal’ and ‘migrant’ is simply wrong when we speak about the majority of asylum seekers arriving to Malta.

In September, UN High Commissioner for Refugees António Guterres visited Malta. He was able to see for himself what Malta has achieved during more than a decade of boat arrivals, including its state-of-the-art rescue capacities.

Obviously, he was also here to discuss the problems that still need to be resolved.

The situation of children arriving in Malta is an important case in point. The government has rightly identified their protection as a high priority.

This week UNHCR and the International Organisation for Migration are launching a joint report on the situation of children who arrive on their own in Malta, presenting concrete recommendations and offers of support to improve the national response.

The most recent 2014 statistics show that boat arrivals to Malta have been significantly ‘buffered’ by Italy’s Mare Nostrum operation.

In a year when the number of resettlement departures is almost the same as the number of boat arrivals, one could be led to believe that Malta now has only a limited role to play.

But with Libya still in shambles and the future of the Mare Nostrum operation imminently in question, this is no time for complacency.

The good news is that with detailed planning for different scenarios, as well as close cooperation between states, EU institutions, international organisations and civil society, we can prepare to manage even the most challenging circumstances.

The motivation is as simple as it is clear: our collective success will save lives and enable protection for those who need it.

In fact, every one of us can contribute. If nothing else by using the right words.

Jon Hoisaeter is the head of the UNHCR office in Malta.