90 Migrants Are Feared Dead After a Boat Capsized Off the Coast of Libya
This tragedy shows the world can't continue to turn a blind eye to this crisis.
Another unfortunate event linked to the migrant crisis happened off the coast of Libya Friday morning, leaving 90 migrants dead after a boat capsized, AFP reports.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) says the tragedy happened off the coast of Zuwara, where "10 bodies are reported to have washed up on Libyan shores," including two Libyans and eight Pakistanis.
There are only three survivors. Two swam to shore and the third was rescued by a fishing boat, the IOM adds.
The IOM has stressed again that the world should not turn a blind eye to this issue, citing that more than 6,600 migrants and refugees already entered Europe by sea this year. Sixty-five percent of the entries were though the central Mediterranean route into Italy.
It's also not too common to find Libyans amidst this tragic disaster, as there were no Libyan deaths recorded in 2017.
"They could have been smugglers," Joel Millman, IOM spokesperson, says to AFP.
The large number of Pakistanis who were found dead indicate a possible shift in migration trends, as there are other people from around the world aside from Africans who seek peace from volatile situations in their respective countries.
According to the IOM, Pakistanis made up the 13th largest group attempting to cross the Mediterranean in 2017. So far this year, they make up the third largest with an estimated 240 reaching Italy in January.
