According to the media, nearly 60 people have drowned on a vessel carrying migrants across the Central Mediterranean from Libya to Italy or Malta. The SOS Mediterranee, a charity rescue organization and Italian Coast during their joint operation in the Central Mediterranean Sea rescued 25 people; at least 60 others perished on the way, including women and at least one child. The survivors departed from Zawiya, Libya, seven days before when their boat engine broke apart midway, causing a human tragedy in the ruthless sea. Months ago, another boat loaded with scores of migrants sank off Libya’s coast resulting in 61 deaths and several missing who never met their loved ones again.
The Central Mediterranean is one of the world’s most dangerous sea migration routes which caused multiple incidents of ship swamps in recent years. This risky route is being used by illegal migrants from Asia, and Africa to reach wealthy nations in Europe, and North America, wherein dozens of those uncalled guests lost their lives during the attempt to cross the dangerous sea which stretches between Europe, Africa and Southwestern Asia. According to the UN Migration Agency (IOM), almost 2,500 migrants using it died or went missing last year, and this headcount reached 226 in 2024. The Western nations are tired of swarms of these unwelcome guests into their countries and using multiple strategies such as offering money, equipment and expertise to LLibya and Tunisia to stop such unlawful departures from their shores. Interestingly, the far-right Italian Prime Minister Georgia Miloni has offered a development package to African nations in a bid to halt illegal migration to Italy that is the biggest victim of illegal migration in Europe.
Despite multiple carnages of mass killings, border shootings, and ship swamps every year that cost thousands of lives of innocent migrants in the Adriatic/ Mediterranean seas yet the mass exodus from Africa, Asia and Latin America does not come to a pause. In fact, poverty, unceasing armed conflict, ethnic and religious rivalries, and violence immensely contribute to legal and illegal migration from least-developed nations, where people are fleeing their native countries in search of economic opportunities and a peaceful life in developed Western nations. It is a matter of shame and disgrace for the ruling juntas in backward nations yet they feel no remorse over such dire conditions in their countries.
