Pakistanis Immigrants Feared Dead After Two Boats Sink Near Libya

At least 60 migrants are feared dead following two tragic shipwrecks off the coast of Libya in the past week, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM). The first incident occurred on June 12 near a Libyan port in Tripoli, where 21 individuals, including women and children, were reported missing. Only five survivors were rescued.

The victims included nationals from Eritrea, Pakistan, Egypt, and Sudan. The second shipwreck took place approximately 35 kilometers off the port city of Tobruk, with the sole survivor indicating that 39 people were lost at sea.

Othman Belbeisi, the IOM’s regional director for the Middle East and North Africa, emphasized the urgent need for the international community to enhance search and rescue operations and ensure safe disembarkation for survivors. “With dozens feared dead and entire families left in anguish, we must act now,” he stated.

So far this year, at least 743 people have died attempting to cross the Mediterranean to Europe, a route increasingly fraught with peril due to dangerous smuggling practices and limited rescue capabilities. As of June 15, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees reported a 15 percent increase in migrant landings on the Italian coast compared to the previous year, with most migrants originating from Libya.

Over the past decade, maritime rescue organizations have rescued more than 175,000 individuals from the Mediterranean. However, an estimated 28,932 people have died attempting the crossing since 2015, with the central Mediterranean being the deadliest stretch.

The current Italian government, led by Giorgia Meloni, has implemented strict measures to curb crossings, including laws requiring rescue ships to return to designated ports, which NGOs argue contradict maritime law.

Critics, including Mirka Schaefer of the German NGO SOS Humanity, have called for greater support and criticized the lack of assistance from the German government in ongoing rescue efforts.