The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) reported on Monday that a devastating incident occurred north of Zuwara, Libya, where a vessel carrying migrants capsized, leading to the deaths or disappearances of 53 individuals. This tragic event represents yet another grim chapter in the ongoing humanitarian crises unfolding within the Mediterranean Sea, a route that continues to be synonymous with immense peril for those attempting to reach European shores. According to detailed reports from the IOM, the disaster took place last Friday, and despite rescue efforts undertaken by the Libyan authorities, only two Nigerian women were successfully saved, leaving the remaining passengers unaccounted for and presumed dead.
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The two survivors shared heartbreaking testimonies regarding their ordeal, with one woman reporting the loss of her husband and the other revealing the loss of her two infants in the catastrophe. The IOM indicated that their medical teams immediately provided urgent medical care and essential psychosocial support to the survivors, who were suffering from severe trauma following the traumatic loss of their family members. Based on the accounts provided by the survivors, the dilapidated boat, which was carrying migrants from various African nationalities, departed from a beach near Zawiya in Libya around 11:00 PM on February 5th. After approximately six hours of navigating the open sea, the vessel began taking on water before unexpectedly capsizing, throwing all passengers into the water amidst difficult night conditions and the complete absence of basic safety equipment.
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The IOM emphasised that this specific route remains one of the most dangerous migration paths in the world, where drowning incidents are frequent due to the use of unsafe boats, harsh weather conditions, and the ruthless exploitation faced by migrants. They explained that human smuggling networks exploit the desperate situations of migrants, ranging from North Africa all the way to Southern Europe, generating massive profits by organising these high-risk journeys without the slightest regard for human safety, with migrants subjected to severe violations throughout the entire route.
Consequently, the International Organisation for Migration has urgently called for intensified international cooperation to confront smuggling networks and to address the underlying causes that drive migrants to undertake such perilous journeys. They also emphasised the necessity of providing legal and orderly pathways for migration, which would significantly reduce risks and preserve human lives. Furthermore, the organisation expressed deep concerns regarding the potential rise in the death toll during the current year, given the continued attempts to cross the Mediterranean, particularly amid unstable weather conditions.
On the other hand, a spokesperson for the European Commission stated that the European Union is committed to dealing with the root causes of irregular migration and supporting the establishment of legal, safe, and orderly corridors toward Europe. The spokesperson added that these tragic incidents underscore the urgent need to intensify joint efforts with partners, including Libya, to prevent dangerous sea journeys and combat the smuggling networks that endanger thousands of lives. According to data from the IOM, 1,873 migrants were recorded as dead or missing in the Mediterranean Sea during the past year, including 1,342 individuals in the central route alone. Additionally, the IOM’s “Missing Migrants Project” showed that over 33,000 migrants have died or gone missing in the Mediterranean between the beginning of 2014 and the end of 2025, figures that reflect the magnitude of the ongoing humanitarian disaster.