The article "Why Identification Matters: An Explorative Study on Six Cases of Family Reunification" by Lorenzo Franceschetti et al. examines the critical role of identification in family reunification, particularly for orphans and widows, following the tragic shipwreck near Lampedusa, Italy, on October 3, 2013. The study highlights the legal and administrative challenges faced by survivors, emphasizing the importance of death certificates in establishing familial status and facilitating reunification. Six representative cases are analyzed, each illustrating unique obstacles and the need for improved mechanisms to certify kinship ties. The authors stress the urgency of addressing these issues, given the ongoing increase in migration and related fatalities, and call for enhanced cooperation between forensic science, humanitarian organizations, and legal systems to ensure the rights of survivors are protected. The article underscores the ethical, moral, and legal implications of these cases, advocating for continued efforts to improve identification processes and family reunification procedures.The article "Why Identification Matters: An Explorative Study on Six Cases of Family Reunification" by Lorenzo Franceschetti et al. examines the critical role of identification in family reunification, particularly for orphans and widows, following the tragic shipwreck near Lampedusa, Italy, on October 3, 2013. The study highlights the legal and administrative challenges faced by survivors, emphasizing the importance of death certificates in establishing familial status and facilitating reunification. Six representative cases are analyzed, each illustrating unique obstacles and the need for improved mechanisms to certify kinship ties. The authors stress the urgency of addressing these issues, given the ongoing increase in migration and related fatalities, and call for enhanced cooperation between forensic science, humanitarian organizations, and legal systems to ensure the rights of survivors are protected. The article underscores the ethical, moral, and legal implications of these cases, advocating for continued efforts to improve identification processes and family reunification procedures.