More than 90 migrants drowned in Mediterranean

More than 90 people in an overcrowded boat drowned in the Mediterranean Sea in the latest tragedy involving migrants departing from North Africa to seek a better life in Europe.

According to a report from AP on Sunday, the migrants were on a vessel that left Libya last week. It was unclear exactly when the boat ran into trouble.

Migrants regularly attempt to cross the Mediterranean from the North African nation in a desperate attempt to reach European shores. The country has emerged as the dominant transit point for migrants fleeing war and poverty in Africa and the Middle East.

Human traffickers in recent years have benefited from the chaos in Libya, smuggling in migrants across the oil-rich country’s lengthy borders with six nations. The migrants are then typically packed into ill-equipped rubber boats and set off on risky sea voyages.

Around 300 migrants died or were presumed dead along the Central Mediterranean route between January 1 and March 28, according to International Organization for Migration. About 3,100 were intercepted and taken back to Libya.

In 2021, at least 32,425 migrants were intercepted and returned to Libya. At least 1,553 are presumed to have drowned last year, according to IOM.

AP