ERBIL () — Reports circulating on social media about a migrant boat allegedly sinking in the Mediterranean Sea and the deaths of several Kurdish migrants have not been officially confirmed, the head of the Association of Returned Refugees said Tuesday.
Bakir Ali told that images and reports claiming Kurdish migrants had drowned in the Mediterranean lacked official evidence and should be treated as rumors until verified.
Reports had claimed that 18 migrants, including 10 Kurds from the Raparin Independent Administration, drowned while attempting to cross the Mediterranean between Libya and Italy.
Ali urged migrant families not to be alarmed by unverified reports, saying neither Libyan nor Italian authorities had confirmed that a migrant boat had sunk or that unidentified migrants had died.
He stressed that, so far, there is no official evidence confirming the reported incident.
Meanwhile, Ali said more than 200 Kurdish migrants are currently stranded in Libya or have unknown whereabouts. He added that 21 migrants are missing.
Three migrants are expected to be repatriated to the Kurdistan Region by the end of this week or early next week, while efforts are underway to secure the release and return of another 10 migrants.
