Libya migrant crossing leaves 19 dead near Italian island

Italy’s coast guard recovered the bodies of 19 migrants and rescued 58 others from a boat attempting to cross to Europe from Libya near the island of Lampedusa on April 1st, as reported by Reuters on the same day.

The survivors, including five children, were taken to Lampedusa, while three people who had been on board were reported missing.

Some of the victims, identified as 18 men and one woman, are believed to have died from hypothermia, according to a spokesperson for the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and the medical charity Médecins Sans Frontières.

The boat had set off from western Libya between March 29th and 30th, the IOM spokesperson said, and had been at sea for at least three days.

Passengers on board included migrants from African countries grappling with a range of issues, such as war and terrorism, from Niger, Nigeria, South Sudan, Ghana, Senegal and Sierra Leone.

The Italian coast guard said the vessel was found about 80 nautical miles from Lampedusa during an overnight rescue operation in rough sea conditions.

The operation took place in the Libyan search-and-rescue zone, where no other vessels were available to respond, according to the Associated Press.

Waves reached more than six to seven metres, coast guard spokesperson Roberto D’Arrigo said.

Lampedusa is a main entry point for migrants crossing the Mediterranean Sea from North Africa into Europe. Many attempt the journey in small boats departing from the coasts of Libya and Tunisia.

The IOM estimates that at least 643 people have died on the central Mediterranean route since the start of 2026.

German rescue group Sea-Watch said more than 100 people had died in the Mediterranean over the past three days in separate incidents.

Rough weather in the Mediterranean has limited departures from North Africa this year and made crossings more dangerous.

According to data from the Italian Interior Ministry, 6,117 migrants have arrived by sea since 2026 began, compared with 9,215 in the same period in 2025.

Reuters, Associated Press, Maghrebi.org