Libya: 42 suspected dead following migrant boat capsizing
Sunken boat in the coastal waters, waiting for the towing to the shore
The UN suspects forty-two people have died following a migrant boat capsizing off the coast of Libya, The National via Reuters reported on 12th November.
The rubber boat carrying 49 migrants was reported to have departed from the Libyan city, Zuwara, on November 3rd at approximately 3 am. Six hours into its voyage, the vessel was capsized by high waves according to the International Organisation for Migration (IOM). While seven people managed to be rescued after being adrift at sea for several days, forty-two individuals remain missing and are presumed dead by the UN. Of those saved, four Sudanese men, two Nigerian men and one Cameroonian man were identified. Meanwhile, the forty-two people missing are reportedly comprised of twenty-nine Sudanese migrants, eight Somalian migrants, three Cameroonian migrants and two Nigerian migrants.
Libya is a major transit point for migrants fleeing sub-Saharan African countries such as Sudan, which is in the midst of a humanitarian crisis, or Cameroon, where the population is dissatisfied with the nation’s economic stagnation. The central Mediterranean route from the North African countries to Europe is noted as one of the world’s deadliest migration corridors. Last month, 61 dead migrants were retrieved across Libya’s coast. Elsewhere, a similarly capsized wooden boat left 18 people dead two weeks ago.
The migration situation in Libya is further exacerbated by the government’s crackdown on irregular migration. Under a controversial migrant deal with Italy, the Libyan coast guard can harshly intercept migrants in what some have described as human rights violations. Many migrants are stuck in detention centres with poor living conditions and widespread abuse. In some cases, the Libyan coast guard has been reported to open fire on these migrant vessels, further contributing to the fatality of Libya’s migration corridor.
These suspected deaths highlight the lingering dangers faced by migrants fleeing the poor living conditions of their home countries. Deaths at sea are a repeated occurrence in these migration corridors, signalling the need to enforce safe and regulated migration pathways.
The National via Reuters, Maghrebi.org
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