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After an inflatable dinghy sank in the central Mediterranean, the Italian coast guard has retrieved six bodies, as reported by the UN refugee agency.
Additionally, on Wednesday, the Italian authorities stated that they were still searching for up to 40 missing migrants. This incident occurred after 10 other individuals were rescued from a vessel and taken to the Italian island of Lampedusa the day before.

The Red Cross reported that the survivors were in good physical condition and receiving psychological care.
According to Chiara Cardoletti, the UNHCR’s Italian representative, there were a total of 56 individuals from Cameroon, Guinea, the Ivory Coast, and Mali traveling towards Europe in the boat. Unfortunately, the rubber vessel departed from the Tunisian city of Sfax on Monday evening and began deflating a few hours into the journey.
On Saturday, a boat carrying Syrian refugees sank off the coast of Cyprus. The island’s authorities retrieved at least seven bodies and rescued two individuals, but at least 11 more people are missing.
It is estimated that thousands of individuals die each year attempting to cross the Mediterranean towards Europe. However, official data may underestimate the true number of victims as many deaths go undocumented.
According to the UN Missing Migrant Project, at least 24,506 people died or went missing in the sea between 2014 and 2024.
In 2022, more than 2,200 migrants died or went missing in the Mediterranean, according to the UN. This year, 8,963 migrants have arrived in Italy, as stated by the country’s interior ministry.
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has been working to reduce boat departures through economic agreements with North African countries.
Meloni claims that these deals have led to an almost 60% decrease in the number of migrants arriving in Italy. In 2022, 66,317 individuals reached the country, down from 157,651 in 2023.
“What do these numbers mean? They tells us that reducing departures and curbing traffickers’ businesses is the only way to decrease the number of migrants losing their lives while trying to reach Italy and Europe,” she stated on Tuesday.
Meloni’s government has faced criticism for its decision to open asylum processing centers in Albania, a move challenged by an Italian court and now under consideration by the European Court of Justice.