More than 50 migrants die, including two babies, after rubber boat capsizes off Libyan coast

According to data collected by this organization, the boat capsized north of Zuwara, Libya, last Friday and only two Nigerian women could be rescued in a rescue operation led by Libyan entities.

This latest tragedy brings the number of victims (dead and missing) on ​​this route to at least 484 in the first five weeks of 2026, although it is believed that there have been multiple “invisible” shipwrecks due to extreme weather conditions and in a context in which trafficking networks continue to exploit migrants.

For this reason, the IOM affirms that it actually believes that there are hundreds more deaths that have not been recorded.

According to survivors’ accounts, the boat, which was transporting African migrants and refugees, left the town of Al-Zawiya late on the 5th and capsized six hours later after taking on water.

“These repeated incidents highlight the persistent and deadly risks faced by migrants and refugees attempting dangerous journey“, reflected the entity.

According to the IOM Missing Migrants Project, more than 1,300 migrants went missing in the central Mediterranean in 2025.

IOM insisted that stronger international cooperation and protection-focused responses are needed to address criminal trafficking networks that take advantage of the vulnerability of migrants, along with safe and regular migration pathways to reduce risks and save lives.