As of 3 November, Italy has recorded a total of 59,438 migrant arrivals since January of this year. Slightly fewer migrants (55,774) arrived during the same period last year. The comparable figure was much higher in 2023, at 144,721. The relative majority of these migrants are from Bangladesh (18,092), followed by Egypt (8,184), Eritrea (7,253) and Pakistan (4,070). Libya remains by far the most important departure point, accounting for almost 90% of arrivals in Italy. The vast majority departed from western Libya.
According to IOM, in the week 26 October to 1 November 2025, 436 migrants were intercepted and returned to Libya, only 45 of them in the East (northeast of Tubruq). So far, 22,945 migrants have been intercepted and returned to Libya in 2025. 545 migrants have drowned and a further 499 people are missing. On 28 October, IOM said a wooden vessel that departed from al-Zawiyya capsized only a few hours into its journey due to high waves. It said that a total of 64 people were rescued and brought safely to shore, while 18 lives were tragically lost.
On 29 October, Italian Minister of Interior Matteo Piantedosi emphasized that managing migration and demographic trends is central to advancing Italy’s renewed migration Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Libya. He described the MoU as a vital instrument in Italy’s strategy to combat human trafficking and prevent departures from the Libyan coast, aligning with the broader goal of safeguarding human rights. Piantedosi argued that stopping dangerous sea crossings orchestrated by traffickers is itself a form of human rights protection.
The same day, EU Ambassador Nicola Orlando said the EU is continuing to invest in development and stabilization of migrants’ countries of origin together with the UN and implementing partners and that they ‘stand firm in supporting Libya’s institutions across the country to strengthen land borders, promote migrant voluntary returns to countries of origin, and combat human rights violations and the international criminal networks exploiting vulnerable people.’