After a rubber boat carrying 55 people overturned off the coast of Libya, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) reports that two Nigerian women were saved during a search and rescue mission by Libyan authorities.
At least 53 migrants, including two infants and numerous Nigerians, are thought to be dead or missing as a result of the incident, according to a statement from the UN migration agency.
According to the IOM, the boat capsized during the weekend in the chilly waters of the central Mediterranean Sea, north of the seaside town of Zuwara.
One Nigerian survivor claimed that her husband had drowned, while the other indicated that both of her children had perished, according to IOM.
According to the survivors, the ship had been transporting refugees and migrants from various African nations.
Six hours after leaving Zawiya at around 11 p.m. on Thursday, it started to absorb water before capizing.
Many migrant and refugee boats departing Libya headed for the Italian island of Lampedusa (350 kilometers from Zawiya), while the destination of the travelers is yet unknown.
UN assistance personnel have frequently cautioned that the open rubber dinghies they frequently travel in are completely inappropriate for such a voyage.
IOM issued a warning, saying that this is only the most recent shipwreck to occur during harsh winter conditions and that many more tragedies are likely going unreported.According to IOM, Libya is not a safe port for migrants.
After fresh mass graves and detention facilities were found in the country’s east, IOM emphasized the risks that migrants still face.
Following a raid on an unlawful detention facility in Ajdabiya, the IOM declared, “Investigations show that the victims had been held in captivity and subjected to torture to coerce ransom payments from their families.”
Additionally, according to the IOM, authorities in Kufra found a three-meter-deep underground holding facility where 221 migrants and refugees—including women, children, and a one-month-old infant—were released.
“Preliminary data indicates that the migrants were detained for an extended duration under egregiously cruel circumstances,” the statement stated.
IOM encourages foreign nationals to take voluntary flights home in order to assist vulnerable individuals who are on the go.
On a second volunteer humanitarian flight in late January, the organization assisted 177 Nigerian migrants in returning home.
According to the IOM missing migrants’ database, 375 people were reported dead or missing in the central Mediterranean in January alone.
According to the UN agency, no fewer than 781 migrants were detained and sent back to Libya between January 1 and February 7, with 244 of them being repatriated as recently as last week.
Following the removal of President Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, gangs engaged in trafficking and smuggling have thrived in Libya.
According to IOM, trafficking and smuggling organizations still take advantage of desperate individuals by sending them out to sea in boats that aren’t suited for sailing.
Calls for safer, legal migrant routes and increased international collaboration were reiterated by the UN migration agency.
In an effort to break up trafficking networks and assist survivors, IOM collaborates with regional and national authorities to improve cross-border collaboration. (NAN)
