Several Nigerians are feared dead after a rubber boat carrying dozens of migrants capsized in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Libya, the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) has confirmed.
Gatekeepers News reports that in a statement released on Monday, the IOM said 53 migrants are presumed dead after a boat transporting 55 people overturned north of Zuwara, Libya, on February 6. The agency disclosed that only two Nigerian women were rescued during a search-and-rescue operation carried out by Libyan authorities.
The organisation said the survivors narrated heartbreaking personal losses. “One of the survivors reported losing her husband, while the other said she lost her two babies in the tragedy,” the statement read.
According to the IOM, the boat had departed from Al-Zawiya, Libya, around 11pm on February 5, carrying migrants and refugees from different African countries who were attempting to reach Europe through the dangerous Central Mediterranean route. About six hours into the journey, the vessel began to take in water before eventually capsizing in the open sea.
Following their rescue, the two Nigerian women were immediately provided with emergency medical care and psychological support by IOM teams working alongside local authorities.
The organisation said it continues to mourn the growing loss of lives along the Central Mediterranean corridor, which remains one of the deadliest migration routes in the world.
Nigerians remain among the largest groups of migrants using this route in desperate attempts to escape poverty, insecurity, unemployment, and social instability at home. Many risk their lives in overcrowded and poorly equipped boats operated by human traffickers and smugglers.
Data released by the IOM revealed that at least 375 migrants were reported dead or missing in January 2026 alone, following several unreported or invisible shipwrecks caused largely by harsh weather conditions.
The agency added that over 1,300 migrants went missing on the same route in 2025, while the latest incident has pushed the number of migrants reported dead or missing in 2026 to at least 484.
The IOM warned that organised trafficking and smuggling networks continue to exploit vulnerable migrants by placing them in unsafe and overcrowded boats, exposing them to extreme danger, abuse, and exploitation.
The agency called for urgent international cooperation, stronger protection-focused responses, and the creation of safe and legal migration pathways to reduce irregular migration and prevent further loss of lives.
Human rights groups and migration experts have also renewed calls on African governments and European authorities to tackle the root causes of irregular migration, including unemployment, insecurity, and political instability, while expanding opportunities for safe and regular travel.
