Nigerians among 300 migrants drowned in Libya

More than 300 Europe-bound African migrants reportedly comprising Nigerians and nationals of other African countries were feared dead after their boats capsized off the coast of Libya.

A report by the Reuters and the British Broadcasting Corporation on Tuesday quoted the spokesman of the International Organisation for Migration, Mr. Jean –Philippe Chauzy, as saying that up to three vessels lacking lifeboats were believed to have sunk off Libya in heavy winds as they headed for Italy, while a fourth boat in difficulty was towed to shore.

“Up to three boats appear to have sunk off the Libyan coast. These boats have no life-saving material on board. It would seem that more than 300 people have disappeared at sea,” Chauzy told Reuters in Geneva.

“They were not at swimming distance from shore,” he said. The IOM was not aware of any survivors aboard the three boats.

The boats sank near oil platforms, but the exact timing of the incidents was not clear. Laurence Hart, head of the IOM’s programme for migrants in Tripoli, reported that Libyan authorities had confirmed a “tragedy”.

In Tripoli, Libyan officials said late on Monday that two boats carrying African migrants to Italy had sunk off Libya in separate incidents over the past two days, killing at least 21 people and leaving hundreds missing.

The BBC report in Tripoli said among the dead was an African woman found lifelessly clutching an infant to her bosom.

There are an estimated one million African irregular migrants in Libya, drawn by the need for unskilled labour according to the IOM. Most come from West Africa, including Mali, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Niger, Nigeria and Cote d’Ivoire, or from Horn of Africa countries led by Somalia and Ethiopia.

Chauzy added, “An unknown percentage of them continue their migratory voyage towards Europe. They save their money in Libya to pay off networks of traffickers,” Chauzy said.

“These people must have been heading to Lampedusa,” referring to the Italian island where 37,000 migrants arrived last year, most after setting off from the Libyan coast.

Hundreds of migrants have died in the last few months crossing the Mediterranean Sea from North Africa to Europe, and the Gulf of Aden from Somalia to Yemen.

They are at the mercy of unscrupulous smugglers, unseaworthy vessels and the elements but many take these risks for the lure of a better life.

The smuggling season normally stops in October, and resumes again in April.

But the IOM says there has been no lull this year and the smuggling boats have been sailing right through the winter.


[Pr