Fifty-three migrants, including two infants, tragically lost their lives or went missing when their rubber boat overturned off the coast of Libya, as reported by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) on Monday. The incident occurred north of Zuwara, with only two survivors, both Nigerian women, rescued by Libyan authorities. The survivors recounted that the boat, carrying a total of 55 individuals, departed from Al-Zawiya and capsized about six hours into the journey.
The IOM teams provided urgent medical assistance to the rescued women. This devastating event highlights the perilous Central Mediterranean route, known as one of the deadliest migration paths globally. The death toll for 2026 has now reached at least 484, underscoring the urgent need for protective international responses and safer migration channels.
Last November, a similar tragedy unfolded when a rubber boat carrying 49 migrants and refugees capsized off Libya’s coast, resulting in the loss of 42 lives. The IOM revealed that the vessel departed from Zuwara and encountered engine failure due to high waves, leading to the fatal overturning. The survivors, drifting for six days, included individuals from Sudan, Nigeria, and Cameroon, while 42 migrants, predominantly from Sudan and Somalia, were presumed dead.
The Ministry of Defence in Libya, under the Government of National Unity (GNU), recently targeted smuggling boats in northwestern Libya to combat illegal migration. Airstrikes were conducted in Zuwara Port, without causing harm to individuals, as part of ongoing efforts to dismantle human trafficking networks and reduce migrant flows through Libya’s coastal regions. Libya’s strategic location and weak border controls have made it a key transit point for irregular migration since the ousting of Gaddafi in 2011.
