The International Organization for Migration’s office in Libya quoted survivors as saying that the boat was carrying about 86 people.
The International Organization for Migration said that at least 61 refugees and asylum seekers, including women and children, drowned after a “tragic” ship sank off Libya.
Early on Sunday, the International Organization for Migration’s office in Libya quoted survivors as saying that the boat was carrying about 86 people.
The International Organization for Migration’s office in Libya said in a statement that it believes that “a large number of migrants” died due to the high waves that submerged their ship after it left Zuwara on the northwestern coast of Libya.
The International Organization for Migration office said that most of the victims were from Nigeria, Gambia and other African countries, adding that approximately 25 people were rescued and transferred to a Libyan detention center.
The IOM team “provided medical support” and that the survivors are all in good condition, the organization said.
Flavio Di Giacomo, a spokesman for the International Organization for Migration, wrote on the sea”.
Libya and Tunisia are major departure points for refugees and asylum seekers who risk dangerous sea journeys in the hope of reaching Europe via Italy.
On June 14 of this year, the fishing boat Adriana, carrying 750 people on board, en route from Libya to Italy, sank in international waters off southwestern Greece.
According to survivors, the ship was carrying mainly Syrians, Pakistanis and Egyptians. Only 104 survived and 82 bodies were recovered.
More than 153,000 refugees and asylum seekers arrived in Italy this year from Tunisia and Libya, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.
Meanwhile, a large influx of migrants and asylum seekers has led to a rise in anti-refugee sentiment in Italy, under far-right Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who won elections last year on a promise to crack down on immigration.
On Saturday, Meloni met with UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama in Rome to discuss ways to combat illegal immigration to Europe.
Like Meloni, Sunak has also adopted a hardline anti-immigration policy. His government cracked down on migrants and asylum seekers who used small boats to cross the English Channel. The UK’s highest court has declared a plan to send migrants and asylum seekers to Rwanda “unlawful”.
In July, the European Union finalized an agreement with Tunisia. As part of the agreement, the bloc will make payments to the North African country to stop illegal immigration.
Dozens of migrants and refugees are often placed in boats that are not large enough to transport them safely across the treacherous route. Some are fleeing conflict or persecution, while others dream of better opportunities in Europe. They land in Italy before trying to make their way to other countries, especially in Western Europe.
Libya has descended into chaos since 2011, when a NATO-backed revolution overthrew old leader Muammar Gaddafi. The country now hosts an estimated 600,000 migrants and refugees.