UN urges immediate rescue of 100 migrants who are at risk of drowning in Mediterranean

The United Nations on July 27 urged rapid rescue for around 100 migrants who are still floating in the Mediterranean and are at the risk of drowning. According to reports, the migrants have escaped war-torn Libya and are wanting to enter a European country by boat but are currently stuck in the Mediterranean. The United Nations' International Organization for Migration on Monday urged states and shipmasters to respond to distress cases at the sea as there are nearly 100 migrants floating in the Central Mediterranean at risk of drowning, after attempting to flee Libya. 

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Migrant crisis

Earlier this month, the Libyan coast guard intercepted a boat with migrants headed to Europe and brought them back to the country. According to the International Organization for Migrants, tens and thousands of migrants risk their lives to enter the European Union via irregular routes every year, of which most of them die at the sea or are brought back to their native countries by law enforcement agencies. IOM said that in 2019 alone more than 1,00,000 migrants tried to cross the Mediterranean illegally and over 1,200 of them died while doing so. 

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Most of the migrants who try to cross the Mediterranean from Africa to Europe do it in ill-equipped boats with inadequate facilities, such as rubber boats or inflatable boats. According to IOM, more than 20,000 migrants have died since 2014 while trying to cross the Mediterranean in such boats. European countries have in the recent past partnered with the Libyan coast guards and other agencies to stop illegal migrations. 

Read: Turkey: Up To 60 Migrants Feared Dead After Boat Sinks

(Image Credit: AP)