Migrant boat sinks off Libyan coast: two infants among 53 victims
Kyiv • UNN
A migrant boat heading to Europe sank off the coast of Libya. 53 people died, including two infants; only two women were rescued.
Another tragedy on the central Mediterranean route claimed the lives of at least 53 people, including young children. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported the disaster of an inflatable boat carrying African migrants to the shores of Europe. This was reported by UNN.
Details
The vessel with 55 passengers on board departed from the western Libyan city of Ez-Zawiya. According to the UN, approximately six hours after setting sail, the boat began to fill with water and capsized on Friday morning north of the city of Zuwarah. Libyan authorities managed to rescue only two women - Nigerian citizens. One of them reported the loss of her husband, and the other lost her two infants in the water.
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The UN migration agency emphasized that human trafficking networks continue to exploit vulnerable individuals, profiting from deadly crossings.
Human trafficking and smuggling networks continue to exploit migrants along the central Mediterranean route
The use of overcrowded rubber boats, which are not suitable for the open sea, remains the main cause of high mortality on this route.
In recent years, Libya has become a major transit point for people fleeing war and poverty in Africa and the Middle East. The country has been in a state of protracted chaos since the 2011 uprising, which has created ideal conditions for the activities of criminal groups involved in migrant smuggling. The lack of unified state control allows smugglers to operate almost unhindered, sending thousands of people on risky journeys to European shores.