The International Organization for Migration (IOM), in its weekly update for the period 23 to 29 November 2025, reported that 55 migrants were intercepted and returned to Libya on 26 November after departing from the coastal city of Zawiya. The breakdown of the returned migrants was 43 men, 5 women, and 7 children.
IOM Affirms Libya is Not a Safe Port for Migrants
The organisation noted that the total number of migrants intercepted and returned to Libya since the beginning of 2025 up to 29 November has reached 25,286. This total comprises 21,945 men, 2,196 women, and 937 children, while the gender of 208 migrants was unknown. Along the Central Mediterranean route, the IOM also recorded 1,184 cases of death or disappearance.
Reaffirming its established position, the IOM stressed that Libya is not a safe port for disembarking migrants. The organisation clarified that the figures for fatalities and disappearances cover Libya and other countries within the Mediterranean region, confirming that these numbers are initial estimates and are continuously subject to review.
The International Organization for Migration asserted that it is not involved in rescue or interception operations, nor does it possess any oversight of events either before or after the migrants are disembarked.
Compared to previous years, the IOM recorded varying rates along the same route: in 2024, 21,762 migrants were intercepted and returned, with 665 deaths and 1,034 missing recorded. In 2023, 17,190 migrants were intercepted, with 962 deaths and 1,536 missing documented
