Ten bodies have been retrieved by Italian rescuers after a migrant vessel overturned in the waters near Malta, according to a Sunday statement from the coastguard.
The boat, which carried approximately 60 individuals and had departed from Libya, capsized roughly 45 nautical miles east-south-east of Malta. The coastguard reported that a nearby fishing vessel rescued about 48 survivors.
In response, the Italian coastguard deployed a patrol boat to the site, which recovered the ten deceased. Search efforts are ongoing and are being coordinated by Maltese authorities. Malta had requested assistance after reports of a capsized vessel with migrants in the water.
Data from the UN’s International Organization for Migration (IOM) indicates that at least 827 people have perished this year while attempting the dangerous central Mediterranean crossing from North Africa to Italy and Malta. Last year, the IOM recorded more than 1,330 deaths on this specific route.
To decrease the flow of migrants, the European Union maintains an agreement with the Libyan government, providing €700m since 2015, primarily to strengthen border management. Italy's strategy in the central Mediterranean has similarly depended on collaborating with Libya to stop departures, providing the Libyan coastguard with training, equipment, and support to intercept boats.
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