Libya is considered an important transit country for migrants who want to come to Europe via the Mediterranean. Over 30,000 migrants were intercepted by the Libyan Coast Guard last year.
New York/Tripoli – According to the United Nations, the number of migrants from Libya who wanted to reach Europe via the Mediterranean has increased sharply in the past year.
“By December 14, the Libyan Coast Guard had intercepted and returned 30,990 migrants and refugees to Libya, almost three times the number in 2020 (12,000 people),” according to an internal report by UN Secretary-General António Guterres to the Security Council. More than 1,300 people were killed during the dangerous crossing with boats that were often scrapped. Here, too, according to data from the International Organization for Migration, the number increased significantly compared to the previous year.
In recent years, the civil war country Libya has developed into the most important transit country for migrants who want to come to Europe via the Mediterranean. According to human rights activists, migrants in Libya are repeatedly exposed to violence, extortion and forced labour. dpa
