Tripoli (TDI): Almost 100 Sudanese refugees are feared dead or missing following two separate boat accidents off Libya’s eastern coast last weekend, UN agencies confirmed on Wednesday.
According to the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM), one vessel capsized on Saturday while another caught fire on Sunday, both near the port city of Tobruk.
The UNHCR said the first boat carried 74 people, mostly Sudanese. Only 13 survivors were rescued, leaving dozens unaccounted for. The following day, a rubber dinghy heading for Greece burst into flames while carrying 75 Sudanese refugees. An IOM spokesperson told AFP that at least 50 people perished, with 24 survivors given urgent medical treatment.
The twin tragedies underscore the dangers facing migrants and refugees attempting to cross the Mediterranean from Libya, a country that has become a major departure point for those trying to reach Europe. The IOM reports that between January 1 and September 13 this year, 456 people have died and 420 remain missing along the central Mediterranean route, one of the deadliest migration corridors in the world.
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Libyan authorities say they have intercepted and returned more than 17,400 migrants so far in 2025, including women and children. Many are Sudanese who fled the ongoing conflict between Sudan’s army and paramilitary forces, which has driven more than 140,000 people into Libya over the past two years.
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But for many, Libya itself is far from safe. Migrants describe conditions akin to slavery, with rampant abuse by smugglers and traffickers who exploit the country’s political chaos. Since the 2011 uprising that toppled Muammar Gaddafi, Libya has remained divided between rival administrations, creating an environment where armed groups and human traffickers operate with impunity.
The IOM says 2,573 people died in the Mediterranean in 2024 while attempting the perilous journey to Europe. Rights groups warn that without greater international efforts to address both the causes of migration and the dangers en route, such tragedies will only continue.
Established in December 2008, The Diplomatic Insight is Pakistan’s premier diplomacy and foreign affairs magazine, available in both digital and print formats.
