Egypt Daily News – At least 18 Egyptian migrants have died and 50 others remain missing following the capsizing of a migrant boat off the coast of Tobruk in eastern Libya over the weekend, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM). The tragedy highlights the ongoing dangers faced by migrants attempting to cross the Mediterranean in search of safety and better opportunities in Europe.
The IOM reported on Tuesday that only ten survivors have been rescued so far, while recovery operations continue amid grim expectations. The capsized vessel was carrying dozens of Egyptians attempting to reach Europe, with Tobruk a coastal city near the Egyptian border serving as a common departure point for such journeys.
A diplomat from the Egyptian consulate in Benghazi confirmed that all those aboard were Egyptian nationals. He told Reuters that the bodies of ten victims had been identified and repatriated to Egypt, while the survivors are currently being held in a detention facility for irregular migrants in eastern Libya.
A Libyan coast guard official said that several of the bodies were recovered along the shores of Al-Aqila, about 25 kilometers east of Tobruk, and search efforts are ongoing.
This latest disaster adds to the growing toll of migrants who have perished trying to cross the Mediterranean, a perilous route that has claimed thousands of lives in recent years. Since the NATO-backed uprising that ousted Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, Libya has descended into chaos and become a major transit hub for migrants fleeing war, poverty, and instability in Africa and the Middle East.
“These deaths are a stark reminder of the deadly risks people are forced to take in their search for safety and opportunity,” the IOM said in a statement. “Libya remains a key crossing point for migrants and refugees, many of whom face exploitation, abuse, and life-threatening journeys.”
Rights groups have long condemned the dire conditions in Libyan migrant detention centers and the lack of adequate rescue infrastructure across the Mediterranean. Human traffickers continue to exploit the country’s lawlessness, packing desperate migrants into unseaworthy boats in exchange for large sums of money.
Despite international efforts to crack down on smuggling networks and improve rescue coordination, tragedies like this continue to unfold with alarming regularity. The IOM and other humanitarian organizations are once again calling for urgent action to address the root causes of irregular migration and ensure safer, legal pathways for those seeking asylum or a better life.
As search teams comb the eastern Libyan coastline for more bodies or survivors, families in Egypt and elsewhere are left to mourn their losses or wait in agonizing uncertainty for news of their loved ones.
