Tragedy at Sea: 18 Migrants Dead, Over 90 Rescued After Boat Capsizes Off Libyan Coast
At least 18 migrants have died and more than 90 others have been rescued after a boat carrying dozens of people capsized off the western coast of Libya, humanitarian officials confirmed on Tuesday, October 29.
The Libyan Red Crescent branch in Sabratha, about 76 kilometres west of Tripoli, led the overnight rescue and recovery operation after receiving an emergency alert late on Monday. The bodies were later found washed ashore near Surman Port, a few kilometres along the coast.
Volunteers from the Red Crescent spent hours combing the shoreline for survivors and victims. In images shared by the organisation, responders were seen carrying the deceased in white body bags while ambulances transported the bodies to local morgues.
The organisation said over 90 survivors were rescued from the sea and given first aid, with several transferred to nearby hospitals for treatment. Local officials are yet to confirm the nationalities of the victims, but most are believed to be from sub-Saharan Africa, including Ghana, Nigeria, and Senegal — regions that continue to record high migrant departures toward Europe.
The tragedy is the latest in a series of deadly incidents involving migrant boats along Libya’s western coastline. Earlier in October, Libya’s Health Ministry reported that at least 61 bodies had been recovered over a two-week period between the towns of Zuwara and Ras Ijdir, near the Tunisian border.
Since the overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, Libya has remained a key transit point for thousands of migrants and asylum seekers fleeing economic hardship and conflict across Africa. With weak border control and the absence of a unified government, the country’s coast has become a dangerous launching point for journeys across the central Mediterranean Sea — one of the world’s deadliest migration routes.
A Broader Humanitarian Crisis (Libya Migrants)
According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), more than 2,500 migrants have died or gone missing in the Mediterranean so far in 2025 — a 20% increase compared to the same period last year.
The IOM and the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) continue to call for stronger international cooperation to tackle human smuggling networks and improve search-and-rescue efforts along the North African coast.
Humanitarian experts say deteriorating conditions in West Africa, coupled with ongoing instability in the Sahel, have intensified migration flows northward. The economic impact of inflation, youth unemployment, and climate change has also pushed more Ghanaians and other West Africans to attempt the perilous journey toward Europe through Libya.
Ghana has not been spared from this migration wave. Data from the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) and IOM’s Accra office indicate that hundreds of young Ghanaians attempt to reach Europe annually via the North African route, often through Niger and Libya.
Many are lured by promises of employment or better living conditions abroad, despite repeated warnings from authorities about the dangers involved.
In 2024 alone, more than 1,200 Ghanaian nationals were intercepted and repatriated from Libya and Niger, according to GIS statistics. Civil society organisations such as Migrants Watch Ghana have urged the government to invest in job creation and skills training to curb irregular migration and reduce the number of youth falling victim to trafficking networks.
The latest tragedy has reignited calls for stronger collaboration between African governments and European partners to address the root causes of migration.
Analysts argue that while security crackdowns can deter smugglers in the short term, long-term solutions must focus on economic empowerment, education, and safe migration pathways.
The African Union (AU) and the European Union (EU) have ongoing migration dialogues, but progress has been slow, with most African states still struggling to implement national migration frameworks or reintegration programmes for returnees.
Despite repeated disasters, the flow of migrants through Libya shows no signs of slowing. Many still risk their lives aboard overcrowded boats, driven by desperation and dreams of a better life.
For the survivors of this week’s tragedy, recovery may take months — not just physically, but emotionally. For the families awaiting news back home across Africa, the Mediterranean remains a sea of uncertainty and loss.
The deaths off Libya’s coast are a painful reminder of the ongoing humanitarian crisis tied to migration in Africa. As nations like Ghana grapple with the economic pressures pushing young people abroad, policymakers face renewed urgency to balance border security with compassion and to create the opportunities that can keep hope alive at home.
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