This was the direct result of smugglers packing desperate people onto overcrowded vessels for profit. Over 34,900 migrants have died or gone missing on the Mediterranean route, and the smuggling networks controlling these crossings prey on vulnerable women and children. Stronger border enforcement and cutting off smuggling networks is the only realistic way to stop these deaths.
The EU has poured €700 million into Libya since 2015 to stop crossings and protect migrants, yet people keep dying in these waters. Funneling money into Libyan border enforcement clearly isn't saving lives — a serious rethink of Mediterranean migration policy, one that recognizes the need for compassion towards desperate and vulnerable people, is long overdue.
© 2026 Improve the News Foundation.
All rights reserved.
Version 7.13.0