Fifty-one dead or missing as migrant boat capsizes off Libya

A migrant vessel capsized north of Libya last week, killing or leaving missing 51 people, according to a monitoring group that reported the disaster on Friday. Ten migrants survived the shipwreck, which occurred on June 12 in the eastern Mediterranean, off the Libyan coast. The AP reported the incident as part of a broader pattern of sea crossings from North Africa toward Europe, where thousands attempt the journey each month despite the risks.

The timing of the disaster coincides with Greece's hardening of its own migration stance. Greece's migration minister, Thanos Plevris, told the AP and private broadcaster Action 24 on Monday that he was calling criticism from the UN and Amnesty International a "badge of honor," vowing to further toughen what he described as Europe's strictest border policies. The remarks signal a regional shift toward deterrence and faster deportation—policies that reshape the calculus for migrants planning Mediterranean crossings.