UNHCR expresses concern over death threats made against thousands of migrants in Libya

A group of irregular migrants, rescued by Libyan Coastal Guard, wait after a boat sank off the city of Al-Khoms, Libya 5 miles from the coast on 25 July 2019. [Hazem Turkia – Anadolu Agency]

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) expressed its concern about the declining condition and death threats facing thousands of illegal migrants in Libya.

On its website, the UNHCR stated that the coast guard has returned 72 migrants to the seaport of Tripoli for distribution to shelters in the capital, noting that besides detainees in trafficking camps, more than 2,000 refugees and migrants are being held in unofficial centres without legal supervision.

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The UNHCR expressed its deep condolences for the death of a young Eritrean asylum-seeker in Tripoli, calling for further action against smugglers and traffickers who are causing unimaginable suffering to refugees, asylum seekers and migrants in Libya.

The commission welcomed the recent measures undertaken by the Libyan authorities targeting armed groups and traffickers, including the raid on a smuggling gang and the freezing of assets, calling on the international community to provide more support to authorities in the fight against human trafficking networks.

About 49,000 refugees residing in Libya are facing violence and abuses, according to the High Commissioner.

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