ROME (AP) – An aid group announced Saturday that it had recovered the bodies of 11 migrants off the Libyan coast and transferred them to an Italian coast guard vessel near Lampedusa island, a destination for many from North Africa.
The German organization stated it was unclear if the migrants were victims of a prior shipwreck, noting their attempts to contact Libya’s coast guard to retrieve the bodies were unsuccessful.
“While the cause of this tragedy remains undetermined, we acknowledge that individuals will continue to embark on hazardous routes in a desperate quest for safety. Europe must establish safe and lawful pathways for them,” Doctors Without Borders, also known as MSF, wrote in a post on X.
The MSF vessel was directed to transport the remaining 165 people onboard, who were rescued during its Mediterranean missions, to the northern port of Genoa. The organization criticized the decision, arguing it would significantly delay further assistance to migrants.
Thousands of migrants departing from North African nations attempt to reach Europe via Libya, taking on a perilous journey across the Mediterranean to escape conflict and poverty.
The central Mediterranean route is notoriously the world’s most dangerous crossing. In 2023, over 3,000 individuals went missing along this route, according to the International Organization for Migration.
