Stories of survivors

Ali*, an 8-year-old unaccompanied minor, was rescued by the Ocean Viking teams from an overcrowded rubber boat in the Libyan Search and Rescue Region on March 14, 2024, along with 87 other people.

Mercury*, 20 years old, had to leave Tigray due to the conflict. She decided to flee to Libya in the hope of finding work to support her family. Once in Libya, she was kidnapped and imprisoned several times.

Line’s family left Lebanon, making a perilous journey through Egypt and Libya, before taking the sea in the hope to reach Europe.

It’s not easy in Libya. I stayed four years. You know when you move in the street, you are not safe.

Ibrahima was one of the 25 survivors rescued on the 13th of March after spending seven days at sea. Around 60 people on his boat perished during the journey.

Marina* was among the 75 women, men and children rescued by SOS MEDITERRANEE during the night of November 3, 2023. They were on an overcrowded sailing boat, adrift, in the Ionian Sea that had departed from Turkey a week before. They ran out of food and water for almost two days before being rescued.