IOM Says At Least 50 Sudanese Refugees Killed In Libya Shipwreck

 

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported that at least 50 Sudanese refugees were killed after their boat caught fire off the coast of eastern Libya on Sunday, September 14, 2025. 

The rubber dinghy, which was carrying 75 refugees, was on its way to Greece when the tragic incident occurred near the city of Tobruk.

“The tragic incident took place when a rubber boat carrying 75 Sudanese refugees caught fire off the coast of Tobruk, Libya, while en route to Greece,” the spokesperson said, confirming “at least 50 lives lost”.

The IOM said in a post on X that the shipwreck occurred Sunday.

But the spokesperson did not provide details of the ages or gender of those on board the boat.

“IOM provided immediate lifesaving medical care to the 24 survivors,” the spokesperson added without clarifying if one last person was still missing.

Libya is a key transit country for thousands of migrants seeking to reach Europe by sea each year.

At least 456 people died and 420 were reported missing along the central Mediterranean route between January 1 and September 13, according to the IOM.

Libyan authorities have so far this year intercepted and returned 17,402 migrants to Libya, including 1,516 women and 586 children.

The war in neighbouring Sudan between the army and paramilitaries has pushed over 140,000 refugees into Libya in the past two years, nearly doubling the number of Sudanese refugees in the country.

Many brave near-slavery conditions in Libya, migrants have told AFP, and the dangerous sea crossing in attempts to reach Europe.

The Central Mediterranean is considered one of the deadliest migration routes in the world. The IOM's Missing Migrants Project has recorded tens of thousands of deaths and disappearances since 2014, with over 2,700 people dying in the Mediterranean in 2024 alone.

Libya is still plagued by division and instability after years of unrest following the NATO-backed uprising that toppled longtime leader Muammar Gadhafi in 2011.

It remains divided between the UN-recognised government in the west and its eastern rival, backed by military commander Khalifa Haftar.

Smugglers and human traffickers have taken advantage of the instability, leading to human rights violations including extortion and slavery, according to rights groups.