According to the International Organization for Migration, a significant number of individuals are unaccounted for and believed to have perished when their boat capsized near the coast of Libya. This incident is the most recent in a string of migration disasters in northern Africa.
61 individuals are reported to have perished due to rough sea conditions that caused their boat to capsize after departing from Zuwara, located on Libya’s north-western coast. This information was shared by the IOM’s Libya office in a statement released on Saturday.
According to survivors, approximately 86 individuals were aboard.
According to the IOM, the ship left Zuwara’s coast during the evening of December 13th and the morning of December 14th.
People often depart from Libya and Tunisia in order to take a dangerous journey across the sea in hopes of reaching Europe, specifically Italy.
According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), in the most recent event, the majority of those affected were Nigerians, Gambians, and individuals from other African countries. The office reported that 25 individuals were saved and taken to a detention center in Libya, including women and children.
According to the IOM office, a team from the organization offered medical assistance and all of the survivors were reported to be in satisfactory health.
According to a statement by IOM representative Flavio Di Giacomo on X, the number of deaths on the central Mediterranean migration route has surpassed 2,250 this year. This alarming statistic highlights the fact that there are still insufficient efforts being made to rescue individuals at sea.
On June 14th, the Adriana, a fishing vessel carrying 750 individuals from Libya to Italy, sank in international waters near the south-west coast of Greece. The majority of those onboard were Syrians, Pakistanis, and Egyptians, as reported by the survivors. Tragically, only 104 people survived and 82 bodies were retrieved.
The UN refugee agency reported that over 153,000 refugees and migrants entered Italy in the current year from Tunisia and Libya.
Giorgia Meloni, the prime minister of Italy’s far-right party, was elected last year on a platform promising to put an end to illegal immigration.
The Italian government recently declared their intention to create centers in Albania for hosting asylum seekers. Meloni praised this as a significant agreement with Tirana to handle the movement of migrants.
The agreement includes the establishment of Albanian centers with a capacity of 3,000 individuals. Only those saved at sea by Italian vessels will be brought to Albania; the centers will not house asylum seekers who arrive on Italian land. Minors, pregnant women, and vulnerable individuals who arrive by sea will still be transported to Italy.
On the previous Wednesday, the constitutional court of Albania halted the approval of the recent agreement by the parliament, which was supposed to take place on Thursday. This decision came after two appeals were made – one from the Albanian Democratic Party and the other from 28 members of parliament who support former prime minister Sali Berisha.
The appeals contend that the agreement violates both the constitution and the international treaties that Albania has committed to following. The ratification is on hold until the court makes a ruling, which must be done within three months.
For over ten years, Libya has experienced violence following the removal and death of dictator Muammar Gaddafi in an uprising supported by NATO. This has resulted in the country becoming a prime location for human traffickers, who have been accused of committing various forms of exploitation, including extortion and slavery.
According to Di Giacomo, it is a criminal offense for human traffickers to send a boat with people in stormy seas during this time of year. However, it is important for European authorities to closely monitor the Mediterranean, particularly during this time. Di Giacomo emphasized that this issue has been raised for years and the lack of a proper monitoring system on this route often leads to tragic events.
Source: theguardian.com
