At least 53 migrants and refugees, including two babies, died or went missing in the latest tragic incident off the Libyan coast, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM). On Friday, a rubber boat carrying 55 people capsized north of Zuwara, Libya, leaving only two Nigerian women alive. One survivor reported losing her husband, and the other reported losing her two babies.
On Monday, the organization issued a statement expressing its deepest sympathies for the loss of life in yet another deadly incident along the Central Mediterranean route. IOM teams provided emergency medical care to the two survivors upon disembarkation, collaborating with the relevant authorities.
According to survivor accounts, the boat departed from Al-Zawiya, Libya, around 11 pm Thursday night, carrying migrants and refugees of African nationalities. Roughly six hours later, the boat capsized after taking on water.
IOM data reveals that, in January alone, at least 375 refugees and migrants were reported dead or missing following multiple "invisible" shipwrecks in the Central Mediterranean due to extreme weather conditions.
Potentially hundreds more lives are believed to be unaccounted for. These recurring incidents underscore the ongoing hazardous risks faced by migrants and refugees attempting the treacherous crossing.
According to the IOM's Missing Migrants Project, more than 1,300 migrants and refugees have gone missing in the Central Mediterranean in 2025, while the latest incident brings the total number of migrants reported dead or missing on the route in 2026 to at least 484.
Trafficking and smuggling networks continue to exploit migrants traveling along the Central Mediterranean route. These networks profit from dangerous crossings in substandard boats while subjecting people to severe abuse and putting them at risk of not receiving adequate protection.
The IOM emphasizes the importance of stronger international cooperation and protection-focused responses to combat these criminal networks. Safe and regular migration pathways must also be established to minimize risks and save lives.
The Central Mediterranean route is considered one of the world's most dangerous routes for the mixed movement of refugees and migrants. The latest tragedy is one of the deadliest maritime incidents along the North African coast this year.
Mixed movements are characterized by the complex nature of human mobility where individuals with different motivations — such as migrants, refugees, asylum seekers, and victims of trafficking — travel on the same routes or use similar methods. Sometimes labeled "mixed migration," this term highlights the need to understand and address the various reasons people have for moving from one country to another.
Since 2014, at least 26,375 migrants and refugees have lost their lives or gone missing on the Central Mediterranean route and 33,836 in the Mediterranean overall. The actual number of deaths and disappearances is likely far higher because many have gone undocumented due to a lack of official sources.
In reality, the scale of the tragedy is much larger. For instance, thousands of refugees and migrants risk their lives each year on dangerous land routes across the African continent. Experts estimate that the number of refugee and migrant deaths in the Sahara Desert is twice the number of deaths at sea.