The Libyan Coast Guard has forcibly returned 7,100 migrants during the first six months of 2024, according to data released by the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
The IOM report also highlights the dire situation in the Mediterranean, recording 282 deaths and 449 missing migrants within the same period.
The escalating humanitarian crisis sees an increasing number of migrants attempting the perilous journey across the Mediterranean Sea in search of a better life in Europe.
Libya’s strategic location has made it a critical departure point for migrants. However, ongoing political instability and conflict have led to severe human rights abuses.
The IOM report indicates that detainees in Libyan detention centers face dire conditions, including overcrowding, lack of medical care, and mistreatment.
Human rights organizations have repeatedly called for an end to these practices and the establishment of safer migration routes.
The IOM and other international bodies have also urged for greater support to improve conditions in Libya and create legal and safe pathways for migrants and refugees.
In a move to alleviate the crisis, Rwanda announced last Saturday that it had received 113 asylum seekers evacuated from Libya.
These individuals are from South Sudan, Eritrea, Sudan, Ethiopia, Côte d’Ivoire, and Somalia.
Since September 2019, Rwanda has welcomed over 2,355 refugees and asylum seekers from Libya.
Additionally, Libya’s Special Tasks Department thwarted a human trafficking operation last week, preventing the illegal smuggling of 49 migrants off the coast of Zuwara, west of Misrata.
The migrants, originating from Sudan, Ethiopia, and Bangladesh, were intercepted on a boat three kilometers from the shore.
