Tuesday May 7, 2024
FILE - Dead migrants found in the Libyan desert in 2022
Mogadishu (HOL) — Approximately 200 migrants, predominantly from Somalia and Ethiopia, have been liberated from a trafficking group in a southeastern Libyan town, according to army spokesperson Walid Alorafi. The raid conducted by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) uncovered migrants, including women, children, and the elderly, showing signs of torture and injuries from gunshots.
The migrants were found in a hidden site in the village of Kufra, where they had been held captive for up to seven months with the intent of reaching Europe. Following the raid, the CID posted a video on social media depicting the demolition of the building where the migrants were detained. Another video showed aid workers assisting some visibly injured migrants into ambulances.
"These individuals have now been handed over to the anti-illegal immigration agency to undergo formal processing," Alorafi stated, highlighting the dire health conditions of some rescued individuals.
Ibrahim Mohamed Mohamud, the second secretary of the Somali embassy in Libya, in an interview with the BBC, confirmed that the rescued group was under the custody of security agencies, with no immediate access to official statistics due to the ongoing security operations.
The situation spotlights Libya’s role as a major transit hub for migrants. Following the overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, the country has seen a significant influx of individuals from regions affected by war and poverty, attempting to cross the desert and the Mediterranean to reach Europe.
According to United Nations data, Libya is currently home to over 700,000 migrants from 43 different nationalities, underscoring the country’s ongoing migrant crisis exacerbated by its oil-dependent economy.
In March, the International Organization for Migration reported the grim discovery of at least 65 bodies of migrants from mass graves in southwestern Libya, highlighting the ongoing challenges and dangers faced by migrants in the region.
UN Special Envoy Abdullah Bathily, in a recent briefing to the Security Council, emphasized the need for regional cooperation to enhance the safety of migrants and called for urgent actions by the Libyan government to address the severe mistreatment of detained migrants reported in Sabha. Bathily has also submitted his resignation to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
With files from the BBC