Tripoli – Rome: Europe and the Arabs

Hundreds of people have been reported missing in the Mediterranean Sea in recent days and weeks while attempting irregular migration. In the latest development, at least 53 migrants died or went missing after a rubber boat sank on February 6 off the coast of Libya, north of the city of Zuwara. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) stated that the boat was carrying 55 people, including two infants. Libyan authorities have so far rescued two Nigerian women during search and rescue operations. One survivor reported that her husband was missing, while the other said she lost her two children. The IOM statement read: "The IOM mourns the loss of life in yet another deadly incident along the Central Mediterranean route. IOM teams provided emergency medical care to the two survivors immediately after they disembarked from the boat, in coordination with the relevant authorities." According to the two surviving women, the boat departed from the Libyan city of Zawiya on February 5 at approximately 11:00 PM and capsized about six hours later, as reported by the Italian news site Nova. Data from the International Organization for Migration (IOM) shows that in January alone, at least 375 migrants were reported dead or missing in multiple shipwrecks in the central Mediterranean Sea, amidst harsh weather conditions, with hundreds more deaths believed to have gone unrecorded. The IOM stated, "These recurring incidents underscore the persistent and deadly risks faced by migrants and refugees attempting the perilous crossing of the Mediterranean Sea." According to the IOM’s Missing Migrants Project, more than 1,300 migrants disappeared in the central Mediterranean in 2025. The IOM states that smuggling networks “continue to exploit migrants along the route, profiting from dangerous crossings on unseaworthy vessels and exposing people to serious abuses and threats to their safety.” The IOM stressed the “need for stronger international cooperation and protection-focused responses to combat human smuggling and trafficking networks, along with the provision of safe and regular migration pathways to reduce risks and save lives.”