Two Nigerian women have been rescued following the capsizing of a rubber boat carrying 55 people off the coast of Libya, the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) has reported. At least 53 migrants, including two babies and several Nigerians, are feared dead or missing.
The IOM said the vessel, carrying migrants and refugees from multiple African countries, departed Zawiya on Thursday night and began taking on water six hours later before overturning in the cold waters north of Zuwara.
Survivors reported the loss of family members in the tragedy.
Many of these journeys are typically intended for Italy, often the island of Lampedusa, despite the boats being unfit for such trips.
The agency highlighted that Libya remains unsafe for migrants, citing recent discoveries of mass graves and underground detention sites where hundreds of migrants were held in inhumane conditions.
In Kufra, 221 migrants, including women, children, and a one-month-old baby, were recently released from captivity.
IOM noted that human trafficking and smuggling networks continue to exploit desperate migrants, sending them to sea in unseaworthy vessels.
From January 1 to February 7, 781 migrants were intercepted and returned to Libya, with 375 reported dead or missing in the central Mediterranean in January alone.
The agency renewed calls for stronger international cooperation and the establishment of safer, legal migration pathways, while continuing efforts to dismantle trafficking networks and support survivors.
