Libya | Pakistan

The United Nations’ migration agency on Tuesday said that 18 people were killed when a wooden vessel carrying dozens of migrants capsized off the coast of Libya on Tuesday, while 64 people — including 12 Pakistanis — were rescued. The vessel “capsized only a few hours into its journey due to high waves”, the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) said in a statement, adding that the accident had occurred off the coast of Surman, Libya. “Among the survivors are 29 Sudanese men, one Sudanese woman, and one Sudanese child; 18 Bangladeshi men; 12 Pakistani men; and three Somali men,” it said. No information was yet available about the nationalities of those who died. “This latest shipwreck is a stark reminder of the grave dangers faced by people undertaking perilous sea journeys in search of safety and opportunity,” the IOM said. It said the central Mediterranean route from northern Africa across to Europe remained “one of the world’s deadliest migration corridors”. The agency said its Missing Migrants Pr...

At least 18 migrants died in a shipwreck off the city of Tobruk in eastern Libya over the weekend, and 50 are still missing, the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) said on Tuesday, citing reports. Ten survivors have been accounted for so far, the IOM said. Tobruk is a coastal city near the border with Egypt. Since the toppling of Muammar Gaddafi in a Nato-backed uprising in 2011, Libya has become a transit country for migrants fleeing conflict and poverty to Europe across the desert and over the Mediterranean. “This latest tragedy is a stark reminder of the deadly risks people are forced to take in search of safety and opportunity. Libya remains a major transit point for migrants and refugees, many of whom face exploitation, abuse, and life-threatening journeys,” the IOM said. Last month, at least 60 migrants were feared dead after a pair of shipwrecks off the coast of Libya. The first ship went down on June 12 near a Libyan port in Tripoli, with 21 people, including women and children, reported m...

Libya’s Tripoli-based government on denied Wednesday reports of a deal with Washington to welcome migrants expelled from the United States It also reaffirmed its refusal of any permanent resettlement of foreigners in the North African country. US media, including CNN, reported in early May that US President Donald Trump’s administration planned to send migrants to […]

Two more bodies of Pakistan nationals who lost their lives in a tragic boat accident off the eastern coast of Libya, arrived at Lahore Airport on Sunday, according to the Associated Press of Pakistan. The incident occurred during the night between April 12 and 13, when a migrant boat capsized near Libya’s eastern shoreline. The accident was the latest in a series of mishaps over the past few years in which hundreds of Pakistanis were killed in the Medi­ter­ranean Sea and North Atlantic Ocean while trying to reach Europe from Africa. The victims were identified as Sufyan and Nadeem Ahmed, residents of Gujranwala, APP reported. State Minister for Public Affairs Rana Mubashir Hussain and Member Punjab Assembly Mian Imran Javed received the bodies at the Lahore Airport cargo department. Later, the bodies were handed over to the grieving families. Prayers were also offered for the departed souls. Speaking on the occasion, Hussain expressed deep sorrow and grief and expressed solidarity with the bereaved families. ...