Dozens of Kurdish migrants fleeing economic hardship, political instability and corruption in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI) have died, and many are still missing following the capsize of two boats on Monday off the Italian coast.
Two migrant boats departing from the Turkish coast and North Africa have capsized near Italy, leading to significant loss of life. The tragedy has particularly affected Kurdish communities from the KRI, with 19 confirmed dead. The victims include eight individuals from Sulaymaniyah (Silêmanî) and 11 from Erbil (Hewlêr).
Iraqi Kurdish migrants are fleeing to Europe due to dire economic conditions, political instability and systemic corruption in their homeland. Despite the Kurdistan Region’s wealth in natural resources, unemployment remains high, particularly among the youth. This dire situation pushes many to risk dangerous journeys in hopes of a better life. Past tragedies, including the 2021 crisis where thousands of Kurdish migrants were trapped on the Belarus-Poland border in harsh conditions, highlight the ongoing desperation and peril faced by those seeking to escape their circumstances.
“The traffickers are Kurdish and based in Turkey. We spoke with them. They told me that my sister, her husband, and their children were on the boat,” Hesen Mele Nebi said, whose sister was pregnant and due to give birth next month.
The Italian news agency ANSA reports that 61 people are still missing, with search operations ongoing. Rescue efforts have so far saved 51 people, according to a German emergency organisation involved, but hopes are fading for those still unaccounted for.
The deceased include families such as Rêbwar Kemal, Kahraman Ömer and their children Lawîn, Larîn and Lovan from Erbil. Heci Warti expressed extreme concern for some of his relatives, “Two of my cousins and their two children were on the boat, and their fate is unknown.”
The Kurdistan Region Ministry of Interior’s Coordination and Monitoring Directorate has announced that efforts are being made to retrieve the bodies.
According to Italian news agensy ANSA, a sailing boat capsized about 100 miles from Calabria, with 66 passengers missing, including at least 26 children. Another boat, rescued near Lampedusa, saw 10 fatalities due to suffocation on its flooded lower deck.
These grim events follow the recent G7 summit in Borgo Egnazia, where a coalition was formed to combat migrant trafficking.
UN agencies report over 800 deaths and disappearances in the central Mediterranean this year, highlighting urgent calls for enhanced search and rescue efforts.
The Summit (Lutka) Foundation for Refugees and Displaced Affairs reported that around 20,000 people from Iraq and the Kurdistan Region migrated in 2023, with many losing their lives on the dangerous routes used by people smugglers.
