IOM: More migrants have been returned to Libya in 7 months than in all of 2020

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has confirmed the rescue and return of more than 20,000 illegal immigrants to Libya over the past 7 months.

A press statement published by the organization’s Libya headquarters detailed the rescue and return of 20,000 and 257 illegal migrants to Libya, respectively.

The statement went on to say that there were 629 missing people and 380 fatalities over the same time period.

According to the International Organization for Migration, the Libyan Coast Guard has returned more migrants to Libya this year than in all of 2020.

The NGO went on to say that the continued departures from Libya underscore the necessity for a rapid and predictable rescue and disembarkation system along the Central Mediterranean route, in full accordance with international human rights principles and norms.

It was highlighted that migrants and refugees who disembark in Libya often find themselves in deplorable circumstances where they may be subjected to abuse and extortion. Others go missing and are unaccounted for, prompting concerns that some have been sucked into human trafficking networks.

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has said once again that returning migrants to Libya is a breach of human rights laws.

Since the unrest that erupted in the aftermath of the February 17th revolution in 2011, Libya has served as a transit point for thousands of migrants attempting to escape Africa and cross the Mediterranean to reach Europe.