160 migrants intercepted and returned to Libya
Despite international calls to no longer return refugees to Libya, migrants continue to be intercepted and returned
In a tweet, the IOM emphasised that Libya must provide safe landing and dismantle its detention centres as well as lift restrictions on the work of non-governmental organisations.
Towards the end of 2020, IOM released data that showcased that nearly 12 thousand illegal immigrants were intercepted and returned to Libya over the course of the year, despite United Nations’ calls that it is inhuman to return people seeking refuge back to Libya.
Libya’s overcrowded detention centres have been the centre of international controversy, as thousands of migrants remain detained indefinitely in unsanitary living conditions exposing them to countless diseases without providing them with proper healthcare and basic necessities.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has reiterated that it is against human rights laws to return migrants back to Libya.
Since the eruption of the chaos that followed the 17 of February revolution in 2011, Libya has become a point of departure for thousands of migrants attempting to escape Africa and cross the Mediterranean to reach Europe.
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