The NGO Mediterranea Saving Humans has reported the recovery of at least 27 bodies of migrants off the Libyan coast, following two shipwrecks that occurred between Friday and Saturday, in what it described as an initial death toll likely to rise.
According to the organization, 10 bodies were recovered along the coast near Blakhtar and Gargabia, close to Tobruk in eastern Libya, while 17 others were found on beaches west of Tripoli.
Mediterranea warned that the number of victims is expected to increase, with dozens of people still missing after the two boats sank in separate incidents across eastern and western Libyan waters. The victims include men, women, and children, reflecting the continued human cost of dangerous migration routes in the central Mediterranean.
The organization stressed that fatalities in such incidents are not isolated tragedies but part of a broader pattern. It blamed European and Italian migration policies, arguing that restrictions on safe and legal entry routes, combined with cooperation with Libya and Tunisia to curb migration, are contributing to repeated loss of life at sea.
The central Mediterranean remains one of the world’s deadliest migration corridors, with Libya serving as a major departure point for migrants attempting to reach Europe. Despite ongoing rescue efforts by NGOs and international agencies, overcrowded and unseaworthy vessels continue to leave Libyan shores, often with fatal consequences.
Humanitarian groups have repeatedly called for expanded legal pathways and improved search-and-rescue operations to prevent further deaths, as pressure grows on European governments to reassess their migration strategies in the region.