At least 17 migrants have died, and nine others are missing after their boat broke down and drifted for eight days in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Libya, according to the Libyan Red Crescent and security sources.
The Red Crescent said in a statement that volunteers, working alongside naval forces and coast guards of the Libyan National Army, rescued seven survivors during recovery operations near the eastern city of Tobruk – close to Libya’s border with Egypt.
Pictures posted online by the Red Crescent showed volunteers placing bodies in black plastic bags and loading them into the back of pick-up vehicles. Security sources said they expect the bodies of the nine missing migrants to wash ashore in the coming days.
Libya remains a major transit route for migrants, many from sub-Saharan Africa – including Nigeria – who risk the Sahara desert and the Mediterranean Sea in hopes of reaching Europe. Conflict, poverty and a lack of economic opportunity drive thousands to attempt the perilous journey each year.
What this means for UK-based Nigerian families
For the UK’s estimated 250,000-plus Nigerian diaspora community, tragedies like this are not distant news. Many families in London, Birmingham and Manchester have relatives who have attempted – or are still considering – the Mediterranean route.
In 2024, the UK Home Office recorded 2,310 Nigerian arrivals by small boat. A significant number of those individuals transited through Libya, where human trafficking networks operate with brutal impunity.
Just this week, Libya’s attorney general announced that a Tripoli court sentenced four members of a criminal gang in the western city of Zuwara to up to 22 years in prison for human trafficking, kidnapping for ransom and torture.
In a separate case on Monday, the Public Prosecutor’s Office ordered the arrest of another gang accused of sending migrants from Tobruk on a dilapidated boat that capsized, killing 38 Sudanese, Ethiopian and Egyptian nationals.
