At least 40 people died when a boat carrying immigrants sank off the coast of Libya, east of Tripoli.
Migrants in Tripoli after their boat was intercepted at sea and brought back to Libya in April. Photo: AFP (file)
The navy said on Sunday it rescued 52 people when the boat sank on Tuesday, but survivors say there were 130 people on board.
On Saturday interior minister Saleh Mazek urged the European Union to do more to help stem the tide of migrants.
He said Libya could not cope with the amount of migrants arriving from sub-Saharan Africa.
Navy spokesman Ayoub Kassem told the BBC that the boat capsized about 4km out to sea near the coastal town of Garabouli.
On Sunday 24 more bodies were recovered from the seas near Garabouli, bringing the death toll to 36.
The migrants were from various sub-Saharan African countries including Mali, Cameroon, Ghana, Gambia and Burkina Faso.
In March, the Italian navy rescued more than 4000 migrants from overcrowded boats in the Mediterranean south of Sicily in four days.
Many migrants pay more than $US1000 to criminals for the journey from Libya