The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has confirmed that at least 60 migrants are missing and presumed dead following two separate shipwrecks off the coast of Libya last week, underscoring the deadly risks faced by those attempting to cross the Central Mediterranean, the world’s most dangerous migration route.

The first incident occurred on June 12 near Alshab port in Tripolitania, where only five survivors were rescued and 21 people remain missing. Among the victims are six Eritreans (including three women and three children), five Pakistanis, four Egyptians, and two Sudanese nationals.

The second shipwreck took place on June 13, approximately 35 kilometers west of Tobruk. A sole survivor, rescued by local fishermen, reported that 39 people were lost at sea. In the following days, three bodies washed ashore on nearby beaches.

According to IOM, 743 people have died attempting the Mediterranean crossing so far in 2025, with 538 deaths recorded on the Central Mediterranean route alone. The organization warns that smuggling networks, limited rescue capacity, and restrictions on humanitarian operations are exacerbating the crisis.

Othman Belbeisi, IOM’s Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa, urged the international community to scale up search and rescue operations and ensure safe, predictable disembarkation for survivors. “Entire families are left in anguish,” he said, “and the cost of inaction is measured in human lives”.

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