TRIPOLI — A rubber boat carrying 55 migrants from several African countries overturned off the coast of Libya after taking on water about six hours after leaving al-Zawiya, the U.N. migration agency said, in one of the deadliest incidents this year on the Libya‑Europe route.
Only two women from Nigeria survived and received emergency medical care from the International Organization for Migration, the agency said. Survivors told IOM officials the overcrowded dinghy departed late at night and capsized north of Zuwara. One woman said she lost her husband; the other said she lost two babies.
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The IOM said coastlines and search-and-rescue services did not reach the boat in time. It gave no immediate breakdown of the nationalities of those declared dead or missing in the incident.
So far in 2026, nearly 500 people have been declared dead or missing on the Libya‑Europe route, the IOM reported, underscoring a pattern of deadly crossings by people fleeing conflict, persecution and economic hardship across Africa and the Middle East.
“Smugglers continue to force people onto unsafe, overcrowded vessels and profit from desperate journeys,” the IOM said in a statement, calling for stronger international cooperation and expanded safe and legal migration pathways to prevent further loss of life.
The latest tragedy comes amid long‑standing concerns about the treatment of migrants in Libya. Since the collapse of central authority after 2011, human rights groups and international agencies have documented widespread reports of torture, trafficking and forced labor. Detention centers, checkpoints and criminal networks have compounded the risks for people trying to reach Europe by sea.
Humanitarian agencies have repeatedly warned that interceptions and returns to Libya expose migrants to abuse and exploitation. The IOM and other organizations have been pressing governments in Europe and the region to increase search-and-rescue capacity in the central Mediterranean, expand resettlement and humanitarian admission programs, and disrupt smuggling networks.
Libya’s coast guard and other maritime actors have been involved in a mix of rescues and interceptions in the past years, at times cooperating with European authorities and at other times criticized for handovers to detention facilities inside Libya. The IOM’s appeal on Tuesday reiterated the need for predictable disembarkation places and coordination so that survivors receive timely medical and protection assistance.
With crossings continuing despite the dangers, aid groups say urgent steps are needed to reduce reliance on smugglers and provide alternatives for people who have few options but to risk the central Mediterranean route.
Investigations into the circumstances of the capsizing were under way, and IOM officials said they would continue to work with Libyan authorities and humanitarian partners to identify the victims and support survivors.
By Newsroom
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
