Roj Ahmad Mam Agha, a young man from Ranya in Sulaymaniyah’s Raparin autonomous administration, who died in Italy after his boat capsized during an attempted journey from Libya to Europe.
Ranya man confirmed dead after migrant boat capsizes off Italian coast
RANYA — A young man from Ranya, the central city of Sulaymaniyah’s Raparin administration, who went missing late last month while attempting to reach Italy by sea, has been confirmed dead, the Kurdish Refugees Return Association said Thursday.
Bakr Ali, head of the Kurdish Refugees Return Association, told 964media the victim was Roj Ahmad Mam Agha, who died “on Oct. 4 at an Italian hospital during surgery for injuries sustained in the incident.”
Ali said the association is awaiting formal authorization from the family to begin repatriation procedures. “Once we receive the official approval from his family, we will coordinate with the Kurdistan Regional Government’s Department of Foreign Relations and other relevant bodies to bring his body home,” he said.
According to the group, on the night of Sept. 29–30, two migrant boats carrying Kurdish passengers departed from Libya toward Italy. Rough weather and instability caused both vessels to capsize near the Italian coast, leaving four migrants injured and one—later identified as Roj Ahmad Mam Agha—missing. He was later found and taken to a hospital in Brindisi, where he died from his injuries.
Ali said one boat carried 12 migrants and the other 13, all of them Kurds. “After the incident, the injured were airlifted to a hospital in Brindisi, and three of them recovered, but one was separated from the group and went missing,” he said. “After four days, news emerged about his death, and the smugglers involved disappeared.”
Family members of the victim told 964media they had lost contact with him after the accident. “Roj Ahmad, known as Dastan, lost his father years ago and was the eldest son in our family,” his relative Araz Omar said. “He chose this dangerous route in search of a better life, and after the incident we lost all contact with him. We were still hoping he was alive.”
In recent years, thousands of young people from the Kurdistan Region have attempted to migrate to Europe in search of better living conditions, often through irregular routes across the Mediterranean or by land through Belarus and Eastern Europe. Many have faced tragic outcomes, with dozens reported dead or missing after boat sinkings near the coasts of Italy, Greece, and Libya. Local organizations say persistent unemployment, political uncertainty, and limited opportunities have pushed growing numbers to risk their lives on dangerous journeys in hopes of reaching the European Union.
