The International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported that 22,509 migrants have been intercepted and returned to Libya so far in 2025, surpassing the total number recorded for all of last year.
According to the IOM’s latest Libya Weekly Maritime Update, issued on Wednesday, 1,273 migrants were intercepted between 19 and 25 October 2025 along the Central Mediterranean Route, one of the world’s most dangerous migration paths.
This brings the total number of interceptions for 2025 to 22,509—already higher than the 21,762 migrants intercepted and returned throughout 2024. Of this year’s total, 19,493 are men, 1,976 women, and 832 children, while the gender of 208 individuals has not been confirmed.
The IOM also documented 472 deaths and 489 missing migrants so far this year. By comparison, in 2024 there were 665 deaths and 1,034 missing, and in 2023, 17,190 migrants were intercepted, with 962 deaths and 1,536 reported missing.
The IOM emphasized that it has no role in the interceptions themselves, which are carried out by Libyan authorities operating along the Mediterranean coast. The organization reiterated that it does not consider Libya a safe port for disembarkation, citing ongoing concerns about arbitrary detention, abuse, and exploitation in detention facilities.
Despite widespread criticism from human rights groups and international observers, the number of migrants departing from Libya continues to rise, driven by poverty, conflict, and instability in sub-Saharan Africa and the Sahel.
The IOM said it will continue monitoring maritime activity and assisting voluntary humanitarian returns where possible. It also renewed calls for safe, legal, and humane alternatives to dangerous sea crossings, stressing that the Central Mediterranean remains one of the world’s deadliest migration routes.
