The IOM added that it had meanwhile provided medical support to 24 survivors, saying on a post on X that "(u)rgent action is needed to end such tragedies at sea."

Last month, three sisters also trying to escape the ongoing war in Sudan also died during their attempts to reach Europe.

Also in August, at least 27 people died after two boats suffered shipwrecks before reaching the Italian island of Lampedusa, having departed from Libyan shores.

In June, at least 60 people are believed to have drowned or remain missing after two boats suffered shipwrecks just off the Libyan coast.

Read AlsoSudanese sisters die in Mediterranean crossing

Libya: North Africa's main departure point for migrants

Libya has long become a transit country for migrants hoping to reach the European Union by crossing the Mediterranean Sea.

Since the fall of Muammar Gaddafi’s dictatorship in 2011, the North African country has been struggling with re-establishing the rule of law, as parts of the country remain mired in armed conflict between rival groups and are run by rival administrations.

Over time, this has resulted in tens of thousands of migrants coming to Libya, with many of them ending up stuck there after running out of funds.

According to IOM data from February 2025, around 867,000 migrants from 44 different nationalities were residing in Libya, with a recent increase suggesting the actual number might be likely to surpass one million.

Meanwhile, around 2,450 migrants and refugees are believed to have died or were considered missing on the Mediterranean route in 2024 alone.

So far in 2025, that number is significantly lower but still makes the Mediterranean Sea one of the most perilous migrant routes in the world.

Read AlsoLibya: Nearly 15,000 migrants intercepted and returned since start of the year

Europe funding Libya to reduce migrant crossings

The European Union and individual EU governments like Italy and Greece continue to deepen their relationship with Libya, offering financial incentives, training and equipment to reduce the numbers of departures from its shores.

Some government representatives claim that these measures save lives while others believe that they make the actual journeys far more dangerous, forcing smugglers to try increasingly more risky routes and tactics to remain undetected.

Read AlsoShipwrecks avoided by halting irregular departures – Piantedosi

Meanwhile, the measures employed by coast guard officials appear to be getting more extreme: At the end of August, the humanitarian rescue group SOS Mediterranee reported that Libyan officials had opened fire on their rescue vessel in international waters, in an apparent attempt to try and stop them from their search-and-rescue mission.

Those who are intercepted by Libya’s coast guard or rounded up on the ground for not having legal papers are typically taken to detention centers, which rights groups repeatedly say are rife with poor and inhumane conditions, unsanitary facilities and the deployment of widespread violence against migrants.

Various UN agencies meanwhile have also documented multiple instances of systematic abuse against migrants and refugees in Libya, including reports of torture, extortion, sexual abuse and summary executions.

According to IOM Libya, which posts regular updates on its X pages about the number of migrants intercepted at sea and brought back to Libya by the Libyan coast guard, between September 7 and 13, 1,161 migrants were intercepted and returned to Libya.

That brings the total so far this year to more than 17,000 migrants. In 2024, between January and December a total of 21,762 migrants were intercepted and returned to Libya by the Libyan coast guard and in 2023, that 12-month total stood at 17,190 --slightly fewer than the 17,402 who have already been returned in just over eight months of this year.

Read AlsoTorture suspect arrested in Germany for allegedly killing migrant in Libya

with Reuters