12 Egyptian migrants are believed to have drowned after their boat overturned near Tobruk, a town in eastern Libya, on Monday, October 28.
The group of 13 had embarked on a journey to Italy on a smuggler’s boat on Sunday, October 27 at night but unfortunately for them the boat capsizes due to overcrowding leading to the death of 12 people although one of them rescued by the Libyan coast guards.
The men, from Egypt’s al-Sharkia and al-Gharbia provinces, are part of an increasing wave of Egyptians undertaking perilous sea voyages to Europe amid rising inflation and unemployment in their country.
Since the overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi in a North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)-supported uprising in 2011, Libya has emerged as a crucial transit point for migrants escaping conflict and poverty in their search for a better life in Europe across the Mediterranean.
As of mid-2024, United Nations (UN) data indicates that Libya is hosting 761,322 migrants from 44 different nationalities.
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