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Over the weekend, at least 18 migrants lost their lives in a shipwreck near Tobruk, an eastern Libyan port city, with 50 others still unaccounted for, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM) on Tuesday. Only 10 survivors have been identified and rescued so far, the organization added. Tobruk lies along the coast close to Egypt’s border.
A diplomatic source from the Egyptian consulate in Benghazi informed Reuters that the migrants were Egyptian nationals. The diplomat confirmed that 10 bodies have been recovered and returned to Egypt, while the surviving individuals are currently being held in a government facility meant to combat illegal migration.
Libyan authorities reported that the bodies of some migrants washed ashore at Alaghila Beach, approximately 25 kilometers east of Tobruk. Since the 2011 overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi in a NATO-supported uprising, Libya has increasingly become a transit hub for migrants fleeing ongoing conflicts, poverty, and dangerous journeys across the Sahara and the Mediterranean toward Europe.
The IOM described the incident as a grim reminder of the perilous risks migrants face in pursuit of safety and better opportunities. The organization emphasized that Libya continues to serve as a major crossing point where many migrants are vulnerable to exploitation, abuse, and deadly voyages.
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