Geneva, February 23 (QNA) – The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said Monday that at least 30 migrants are feared dead or missing after a boat carrying them capsized off the coast of Greece.

In a statement, the UN agency called for intensified search-and-rescue operations in the Mediterranean to save lives, ensure the safe disembarkation of migrants, and strengthen regional cooperation.

The IOM warned that human trafficking and smuggling networks continue to exploit migrants along the central Mediterranean route, profiting from dangerous crossings in unseaworthy vessels, while exposing people to abuses and serious risks to their safety.

The UN agency stressed the importance of strengthening international cooperation and protection-focused responses to combat these criminal networks and expand safe and regular pathways to reduce risks and save lives.

The boat set sail from Tobruk in Libya on February 19 and capsized about 20 nautical miles from the island of Crete.

Among the survivors were 16 men and four minors, while authorities recovered the bodies of three men and a woman. (QNA)