Mass Drownings off Libya Expose Europe and Libya’s Failure to Protect Refugees
- Human Rights Research Center
- Sep 19
- 3 min read
Author: Aamnah Fatima Khan
September 19, 2025
HRRC deeply regrets the loss of Sudanese refugees off Libya’s coast and urges urgent action to prevent such tragedies. Authorities in Libya and Europe must take responsibility and ensure safe, legal pathways for those seeking protection. HRRC further calls for an independent investigation into the incident, accountability for those enabling abuse, and immediate humanitarian support for the survivors.
![[Image credit: Louisa Gouliamaki/Reuters]](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/e28a6b_42a5bc817c2d4ad3a8c20214d56b134c~mv2.png/v1/fill/w_770,h_513,al_c,q_90,enc_avif,quality_auto/e28a6b_42a5bc817c2d4ad3a8c20214d56b134c~mv2.png)
At least 50 Sudanese refugees lost their lives after a vessel caught fire off Libya’s coast on Sunday, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) confirmed, with 24 people receiving emergency medical aid after the tragedy. Survivors reported that the rubber boat, carrying 75 Sudanese nationals, ignited while en route to Greece off the coast of Tobruk.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Libya said only 13 people survived the disaster, indicating that dozens more remain missing. The scale of the tragedy reflects the deadly risks faced by refugees and the systemic neglect of their rights by both Libyan and European authorities.
Libya, fractured since the NATO-backed overthrow of former leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, has become a deadly transit corridor for people fleeing war and poverty. The war in Sudan alone has pushed over 140,000 refugees into Libya in the past two years, nearly doubling their presence in the country. Instead of safety, migrants often endure torture, rape, extortion and conditions resembling slavery.
Meanwhile, European governments stand accused of complicity. Italian humanitarian group Mediterranean Saving Humans has presented evidence that EU-funded Libyan forces threw refugees overboard, in blatant violation of international law. Despite documentation of abuses, EU member states continue to funnel resources to Libyan militias, effectively outsourcing border control at the cost of human lives.
The central Mediterranean remains one of the world’s deadliest migration routes, with at least 456 deaths and 420 people missing between January and mid-September alone. In 2024, over 2,500 people died attempting the same crossing.
These recurring tragedies are not accidents but foreseeable outcomes of deliberate policy choices. By refusing to provide safe and legal pathways and by empowering abusive Libyan forces, European and Libyan authorities have failed in their duty to protect the most vulnerable. Their complicity turns the Mediterranean into a mass grave for refugees who deserve dignity, protection and justice.
Glossary
Blatant – very obvious and done openly without shame
Complicity – being involved in something wrong or illegal with others
Deliberate – done on purpose, not by accident
En route – on the way to a place
Extortion – forcing someone to give money or things through threats
Foreseeable – something that can be predicted or expected to happen
Fractured – broken or divided
Funnel – to direct or guide something into a narrow path or channel
Militias – armed groups that are not part of the official army
Outsourcing – giving work or responsibility to another group or country instead of doing it yourself
Recurring – happening again and again
Systemic neglect – failure or carelessness that is part of a larger system and continues over time
Transit corridor – a path or route used to pass through an area, often by many people or goods
Tragedies – very sad or disastrous events causing suffering or death
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