UN migration agency expresses concern over the disappearance of thousands of Europe-bound migrants in Libya, whose fate and whereabouts remain unknown
The International Organization for Migration said Libya intercepted over 24,000 migrants in the Mediterranean this year,"but only 6,000 are in detention centers, the fate of others remains unknown".
According to Safa Msehli, a spokeswoman for the International Organization for Migration, the Libyan coast guard, which receives funds from the European Union, intercepted more than 24,000 Europe-bound migrants in the Mediterranean so far this year, including over 800 this week alone. The oil-rich country plunged into chaos following a NATO-backed uprising that toppled and killed longtime autocrat Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.
The number of migrants intercepted and returned to Libya so far this year is more than double the number for 2020, when more than 11,890 were brought back to shore.