On Tuesday, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) confirmed two tragic shipwrecks off Libya’s coast in recent days, with at least 60 migrants feared missing. Survivors were given emergency care by IOM teams upon arrival.
“These tragedies have left families devastated,” said Othman Belbeisi, IOM’s Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa. “We urge the international community to intensify search and rescue efforts and ensure safe, predictable disembarkation for survivors. Our thoughts are with all those affected.”
The first shipwreck occurred on June 12 near Alshab port in western Libya. Only five people were rescued. Twenty-one others remain missing, including six Eritreans—three of whom were children—five Pakistanis, four Egyptians, and two Sudanese men. The nationalities of the four others are still unknown.
The second shipwreck happened a day later, on June 13, roughly 35 kilometers west of Tobruk. One man survived, rescued by local fishermen. He reported that 39 people were lost at sea. Over the following days, three bodies washed ashore—two on Umm Aqiqih beach on June 14 and one on Elramla beach in Tobruk the next day. Identification efforts are ongoing, with support from members of the Sudanese community.
So far in 2025, at least 743 people have died trying to cross the Mediterranean. Of those, 538 died on the Central Mediterranean route, which continues to be the world’s deadliest path for migrants. Smugglers are using increasingly dangerous methods, while search and rescue operations remain under-equipped and humanitarian aid efforts face growing restrictions.
IOM’s Search and Rescue programme in Libya provides immediate assistance to survivors of shipwrecks and desert rescues. The organization also supports local authorities by equipping them with the tools needed to respond to migration emergencies.
Globally, IOM’s Missing Migrants Project has recorded over 75,000 deaths and disappearances since 2014. More than half occurred in or near crisis-affected countries, highlighting the connection between displacement, insecurity, and the absence of legal migration routes.
