Cameroon – Illegal Immigration: Tragic death of several Cameroonians off the Libyan coast

They are many who for various reasons, leave their country of origin to cross the Mediterranean in search of "greener pastures" in Europe. But on the road, tragedies like this can happen.

Indeed, the bodies of at least 25 migrants who drowned trying to reach Europe were found near Tripoli on

Tuesday, said the Libyan Red Crescent.

Some of the corpses were washed ashore on a beach near the Libyan capital, but most were on rocks in the suburb of Tajoura in a state of decomposition, said an AFP photographer on the scene.

The onset of hot weather saw a surge of migrants embarking on boats for the perilous journey across the Mediterranean, putting pressure on the rescue services.

Italy’s coast guards said more than 8,000 migrants had been rescued off Libya in a 48-hour period on Tuesday.

Most of them were young people from Cameroon, Sudan, Mali and Senegal, said the spokesman for the Libyan navy, General Ayoub Qassem.

They were found packed aboard an improvised rubber dinghy, said an AFP cameraman who was on the rescue boat.

The coast guards moved them one by one on a rescue vessel.

Once on board, the migrants remained silent, tired and visibly disappointed not to reach their destination.

When they arrived in the port of Zawiya, west of Tripoli, they were taken into a truck to be taken to a detention center in the city.

A woman gripping her baby was sobbing in the truck, her dreams of evolving in Europe in a few hours were gone – with the money she paid for the trip.

Navy spokesman Qassem said that several migrant ships were spotted Tuesday by Libya with at least six private ships “asking to carry out rescue operations.“

Witten by Ashembwom Stephanie