More than two hundred migrants are still missing from a boat that
capsized at sea 30 miles off the Libyan coast near the Buri oil
platform.

The boat was believed to be carrying 257 people. Libyan
coastguard have retrieved 20 bodies and rescued 23 people. Among
them were women and children.

Another boat believed to be carrying 356 people was rescued by
Libyan authorities and towed back to safety.

The rescue operations, now ended, began yesterday when one of
the boats sent an SOS which was detected by the Italian coast guard
and then conveyed to Libyan officials.

However, radio contact has been lost with another two boats,
though it is unclear whether these boats were fishing boats or
boats carrying irregular migrants en route to Europe.

Smugglers often use unseaworthy and over-crowded boats to carry
the migrants who have had to pay large sums of money for their
journey. Weather conditions were reported not to have been good
yesterday with strong winds.

IOM has offered its assistance to the Libyan government in
finding durable assistance to those who were rescued.

Libya is a major transit country for migrants seeking to reach
Europe by sea from North Africa. Last year, nearly 32,000 arrived
on the Italian island of Lampedusa.

Although some migrants decide not to make the sea crossing to
Europe, deterred by the perils including the ruthlessness of
smuggling networks, many unfortunately do.

An IOM information and assistance centre in Libya provides
critical humanitarian assistance to irregular migrants stranded in
Libya without papers and money. In addition to providing shelter
for 40 migrants, it also offers counselling services. For those who
have decided to return home but who have no means to do so, IOM
provides assisted voluntary return. Since 2007, IOM has helped
3,500 migrants to return home voluntarily where they are provided
reintegration assistance to help them regain a livelihood.

For further information, please contact:

Laurence Hart

IOM Tripoli

Tel: +218 21 477 78 38

E-mail: "mailto:lhart@iom.int">lhart@iom.int 

or

Jean Philippe Chauzy

IOM Geneva

Tel: + 41 79 285 4366

E-mail: "mailto:pchauzy@iom.int">pchauzy@iom.int

or

Jemini Pandya

IOM Geneva

Tel: + 41 79 217 3374

E-mail: "mailto:jpandya@iom.int">jpandya@iom.int