Over 60 illegal immigrants missing off Libya coast
(Libyan Coast Guard – Facebook)
Dozens of migrants are missing after a rubber boat they were on sank off the coast of Libya, local officials say.
One official is quoted as saying 63 migrants have disappeared after Sunday’s incident east of Tripoli, while 41 people have been rescued.
About 170 migrants have gone missing in the Mediterranean Sea since Friday.
Smugglers are exploiting migrants desperate to get to the EU before it tightens its borders, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) says.
“There is an alarming increase in deaths at sea off Libya’s coast,” IOM’s Libya Chief of Mission Othman Belbeisi said.
More than 1,000 people have died while sailing from Libya to Europe so far this year.
The views expressed in Op-Ed pieces are those of the author and do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of Libyan Express.
How to submit an Op-Ed: Libyan Express accepts opinion articles on a wide range of topics. Submissions may be sent to oped@libyanexpress.com. Please include ‘Op-Ed’ in the subject line.
How to submit an Op-Ed: Libyan Express accepts opinion articles on a wide range of topics. Submissions may be sent to oped@libyanexpress.com. Please include ‘Op-Ed’ in the subject line.
Latest posts by Libyan Express (see all)
- US diplomacy intensifies in eastern Libya - December 21, 2024
- Reports claim Russian military transfers from Syria to Libya - December 20, 2024
- Iraq returns Syrian militants across border - December 20, 2024