Forty-two migrants are feared dead after a rubber boat capsized off the Libyan coast earlier this month, with most victims believed to be Sudanese refugees fleeing ongoing conflict. The vessel departed from Zuwarah with forty-nine people onboard but was overcome by large waves just hours into its journey, leaving only a handful of survivors who were rescued after nearly six days at sea.

This tragedy marks another grim milestone in the ongoing crisis on the central Mediterranean route, which remains one of the deadliest passages for migrants seeking safety in Europe. Over thirty-three thousand people have died attempting the crossing in the past eleven years, as governments struggle to manage the flow of refugees from Africa and the Middle East.

The International Organization for Migration reported that this year's death toll on the Mediterranean has already exceeded one thousand, with recent shipwrecks highlighting the persistent dangers faced by those escaping war and instability. Survivors from the latest incident were transferred to a detention center in Tripoli, while the search for bodies continues.

Libya remains a primary departure point for these perilous journeys, despite ongoing concerns about exploitation, violence, and unsafe conditions for migrants. The number of Sudanese risking the crossing has sharply increased, reflecting the deepening humanitarian crisis caused by war in their home country.