Nineteen bodies were discovered in Jakharrah, around 400 km south of the coastal city of Benghazi, while at least 30 more were found in a mass grave in the Alkufra desert in the southeast. It is believed the second grave may contain as many as 70 bodies.
A boat transporting migrants 34 nautic miles far from Libyan coasts. (file).
Libyan security forces continue operations to capture the people responsible for the deaths of the migrants and according to news reports one Libyan and two foreign nationals have been arrested.
IOM urged the Libyan authorities “to ensure a dignified recovery, identification, and transfer of the remains of the deceased migrants, while notifying and assisting their families”.
It is not the first time a mass grave has been uncovered in Libya. In March 2024, the bodies of 65 migrants were found in the southwest of the country.
According to IOM’s Missing Migrants Project, out of the 965 recorded deaths and disappearances in Libya in 2024, more than 22 per cent occurred on land routes.
IOM said: “This highlights the often-overlooked risks migrants face on land routes, where fatalities frequently go underreported,” adding that “strengthening data collection, search and rescue efforts, and migrant protection mechanisms along these routes is crucial to preventing further loss of life”.
The migration agency has urged all governments and authorities along migrant smuggling routes to strengthen regional collaboration to safeguard and protect migrants, irrespective of their status.