At least 42 migrants are feared dead after their rubber boat sank off the coast of Libya, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported. The missing include 29 Sudanese, eight Somalis, three Cameroonians, and two Nigerians.
According to the IOM, the boat was carrying 49 migrants when it departed from the northwestern city of Zuwara on November 3. About six hours later, it capsized in the Mediterranean Sea. After drifting for six days, seven survivors were rescued by Libyan authorities on November 8.
The IOM described the incident as the latest in a series of deadly voyages along the Central Mediterranean route, where over 1,000 people have already lost their lives this year while trying to reach Europe.
Human rights groups have long accused the Libyan Coast Guard of violence and abuse against migrants. A Sea-Watch report revealed that between 2016 and 2025, the coast guard was involved in at least 60 violent maritime incidents, including shooting at refugee boats and obstructing rescue efforts.
The European border agency Frontex reported that over 58,000 migrants attempted to cross the central Mediterranean route this year. The UN estimates 867,000 refugees and asylum seekers are currently in Libya, which remains a major transit hub for Europe-bound migration.
Source: Al Jazeera.