A boat carrying 74 migrants, mostly Sudanese, capsized off the Libyan coast on September 13, with only 13 survivors rescued, according to the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR), which reported the incident on September 17 and expressed condolences to the victims' families.

The UNHCR highlighted the dangers of such perilous journeys, urging an end to the ongoing conflict in Sudan to enable safe returns home and expand legal migration options. "The real solution is to end the war in Sudan so families can return home in safety and not take these dangerous journeys," the agency stated.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported on September 16 that at least 50 Sudanese refugees perished in a fire on the same vessel before it capsized, underscoring the compounded risks migrants face during crossings.

In a separate rescue operation on September 16, the Libyan navy intercepted a group of 35 migrants, including five women and a child, near Abu Kamash, approximately 156 km west of Tripoli. The individuals were transferred to a reception center for food, water, and basic medical care.

Libyan authorities noted that 51 smuggling incidents have been recorded in 2025 so far, resulting in the interception of 3,480 migrants from various nationalities.

Since the 2011 NATO-backed uprising that ousted Muammar Gaddafi, Libya has served as a primary transit hub for migrants aiming for Europe, where smuggling networks operate amid persistent political divisions between the Tripoli-based Government of National Unity and the eastern administration backed by Khalifa Haftar's Libyan National Army.