Migrant boat capsizing off Lampedusa, Italy claims at least 20 lives according to UN report
Migrant Deaths Reach Over 700 in Central Mediterranean Route in 2025
A tragic toll of over 700 migrant deaths has been reported in the Central Mediterranean route so far in 2025, according to the latest UNHCR data [3][5]. This figure includes at least 27 deaths from a recent shipwreck near Lampedusa [3][5].
The UNHCR specifically reported 675 deaths prior to this sinking, indicating that the total has now surpassed 700 [2][4]. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported a slightly higher number of over 1,000 deaths in the Mediterranean overall, but this includes all Mediterranean routes, not just the Central Mediterranean [1].
The latest tragedy occurred on Wednesday when a boat carrying approximately 92 to 97 migrants capsized off the Italian island of Lampedusa. At least seven deaths were reported, and authorities are searching for another 12 to 17 survivors [6].
The shipwreck near Lampedusa is not an isolated incident. In July, a boat departing from Libya capsized a few miles from Lampedusa, resulting in at least 368 deaths [7]. Italy's government has introduced laws aimed at reducing the number of sea crossings, but the Central Mediterranean route remains dangerous.
Since 2014, the Central Mediterranean route has become the most dangerous in the world, with more than 25,260 people having died or gone missing [8]. Most of the deaths have been attributed to small boats leaving from Tunisia and Libya [2].
The EU has implemented stricter immigration controls in recent years, but the spike in irregular migration across the Mediterranean has led the EU's commissioner for migration to state that Europe would take a "firm" approach with authorities in Libya [5]. A meeting between the leaders of Turkey, Italy, and Libya was held in Istanbul earlier this month to discuss the Mediterranean migration route [5].
UNHCR spokesman Filippo Ungaro expressed deep anguish over the shipwreck, emphasising the need for safe and legal migration routes [3]. Italy established an annual day of remembrance for victims of that shipwreck and other fatal capsizings that year [7].
In the first six months of 2025, 30,060 refugees and migrants arrived in Italy by sea, a 16% increase compared to the same period last year [4]. The UN has also reported scores of migrant deaths after a boat capsized off the Yemen coast [2]. The number of unrecorded deaths along this route is likely high, according to the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) [2].
The tragic loss of life in the Central Mediterranean route highlights the urgent need for action to ensure the safety and protection of migrants and refugees.
Politics surrounding the Central Mediterranean migration crisis has grown more intense, with the General-news outlets reporting an unprecedented surge in migrant deaths. crime-and-justice concerns have also arisen, as the number of migrants going missing or drowning at sea continues to soar. Despite stricter immigration controls and diplomatic meetings, the death toll in the Central Mediterranean route remains a general-news headline and a subject of crime-and-justice debates.
