By: Chloe Wilson

Humor Editor 

 As of Wednesday, Sept. 4, 21 migrants were reported missing at sea. There were seven survivors saved from a sinking boat within ten miles off the Italian island of Lampedusa, according to Italy’s Coast Guard. 

 The survivors, who were all Syrian men, explained that they had left on Sunday, Sept. 1, from Libya with 28 passengers. 21 of the 28 passengers fell into the sea due to harsh weather conditions.

 The seven Syrians were then taken to Lampedusa, one of the main destinations for migrants who are crossing the Mediterranean from Africa to Europe on one of the deadliest migration routes in the world. 

 The Italian office at the U.N Refugee Agency (UNHCR) stated Sudan citizens were aboard the vessel as well, which they believe departed from the port of Sabratha, west of Tripoli. “The boat capsized after a day at sea… Everyone fell into the water because the weather was bad and the sea was rough. We tried to save our companions, but there was nothing we could do” one Syrian survivor said. Chiara Cardoletti, head of the Italian office at the UNHCR, wrote on X that many survivors lost relatives at sea and that they were in critical condition. 

  Nicola Dell’Arciprete, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) country coordinator for Italy, stated that after the boat capsized, victims were clinging to the side of the vessel. As of Saturday, September 8th, six bodies have been discovered off the coast of Sicily and are thought to be some of the victims of the migrant shipwreck based on the location  where they were found.

 In the central Mediterranean, over 2,500 migrants died or went missing while attempting to cross this treacherous route last year, and 1,116 since the beginning of 2024. According to the Italian Interior Ministry, there are over 43,000 migrants who have successfully reached Italy so far in 2024, which is much lower than in previous years. 

 The six bodies that were found off the coast have now been transported to Lampedusa to be processed. The mayor of Lampedusa, Filippo Mannino, described this discovery as “another tragedy” of the migration crisis. Mannino also expressed, “We hoped, in the hours following the rescue of the seven Syrians, that the coast guard patrol boats would be able to find the missing alive. But the passing of time has made us lose all hope.” 

Sources: ( AOL, The New York Times, VOA)