AT least 61 people, including children, have been killed in a “tragic shipwreck" after a boat carrying 86 migrants left Libya.
The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) in Libya made the announcement on social media on Saturday.
The organisation quoted survivors as saying the boat, carrying around 86 people, departed the Libyan city of Zwara.
The tragedy comes after British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak warned that illegal migration to Europe could “overwhelm” the continent.
He suggested a change was needed in international law to tackle the issue.
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At a meeting with Italian conservatives in Rome, Mr Sunak said "enemies" could use immigration as a "weapon" by "deliberately driving people to our shores to try to destabilise our society".
During the day-long trip to Rome, Mr Sunak met Italian Prime Minster Giorgia Meloni, with whom he has developed a strong partnership.
They also held talks with Albania's prime minister Edi Rama, another ally in their efforts to crack down on illegal migration.
Number 10 said that after the talks Mr Sunak and Ms Meloni had agreed to co-fund a project that would see the two countries "promote and assist the voluntary return" of migrants currently stuck in Tunisia.
Mr Sunak said: "If we do not tackle this problem, the numbers will only grow. It will overwhelm our countries and our capacity to help those who actually need our help the most.
"If that requires us to update our laws and lead an international conversation to amend the post-war frameworks around asylum, then we must do that.
"Because if we don't fix this problem now, the boats will keep coming and more lives will be lost at sea."
Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk was among those at the Atreju event, which has been attended by former Donald Trump ally Steve Bannon and Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban in the past.
A migrant died in the Channel yesterday, with Downing Street calling it a “stark reminder” of just how dangerous the crossings are.
A second migrant was left in a critical condition when a boat sank in the English Channel just after midnight yesterday with 66 rescued and taken to safety.
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The Home Secretary James Cleverly said the incident which took place five miles off the northern coast “horrific reminder of the people smugglers’ brutality”.
More than 29,000 migrants have arrived in the UK this year after crossing the Channel.
