The International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Libya reported a tragic incident where 61 migrants, including women and children, drowned in a shipwreck off the Libyan coast.
According to survivors, the vessel, which had around 86 people on board, set sail from Zwara, a Libyan city approximately 110 km (68 miles) from Tripoli.
IOM highlighted the extreme dangers of the central Mediterranean as a migration route. In a notable incident earlier this year, a fishing boat carrying hundreds of migrants capsized off Greece after leaving from Tobruk, Libya.
The journey, intended to reach Italy, resulted in 78 confirmed deaths, while the whereabouts of 518 others remain unknown.
The IOM’s report for the first half of 2023 identified drowning as the leading cause of death among migration routes worldwide, with a total of 2,200 deaths recorded during this period.
The central Mediterranean route was particularly perilous, accounting for 1,727 deaths and disappearances, with the highest numbers recorded in Tunisia and Libya.
These figures, however, are likely lower than the actual number of fatalities, as per the IOM. Sea arrivals in Italy have nearly doubled in 2023 compared to the previous year, with approximately 140,000 people reaching Italian shores, predominantly from Tunisia. The small Italian island of Lampedusa has been significantly affected by these landings.
In response to the increasing number of boats departing from Tunisia for Europe, the European Union and Tunisia signed a “strategic partnership” in July.
This agreement aims to combat human trafficking and strengthen sea border controls. Additionally, the UK and Italy announced a joint initiative to finance the return of stranded migrants in Tunisia, although the amount of funding was not specified.
