60 refugees gone missing off coast Libya

A minimum of 60 refugees and migrants have gone missing and drowned off the coast of Libya after attempting to cross over to Europe.

According to Al Jazeera, the two shipwrecks were reported by the International Organisation for Migration, with one wreck occurring on June 12th and the other on June 13th.

“With dozens feared dead and entire families left in anguish, IOM is once again urging the international community to scale up search and rescue operations and guarantee safe, predictable disembarkation for survivors,” said Othman Belbeisi, the regional director for the Middle East and North Africa.

The first wreck occurred near Alshab port in Tripolitania, with only five survivors and a further 21 reported missing. The second wreck occurred 22 miles west of Libya, near Tobruk, with one sole survivor and 39 missing.

This is just another incident in a pressing issue of migration in the region, as Libya has become the key crossing for access to Europe.

A minimum of 743 people have died this year as they attempt to cross the Mediterranean to Europe. The European Union has tried to combat this with support to the Libyan coast guard.

The support has included equipment and financial assistance. Yet, the Libyan coast guard does not have the best reputation, being a quasi-military organisation with links to militias accused of abuses.

Libya has had a serious issue with migration and a lack of stability in the country since the fall of Gaddafi, and human rights have been easily violated.

There have been accusations from rights groups of extortion, murder, and slavery, with mass graves found this month by the UN.

Many experts believe this migrant issue is quickly becoming a crisis which needs to be addressed, as the deaths only occurred halfway through 2025, and have reached over 700 people.

Al Jazeera/Maghrebi.org