AdvertisementLibya’s coastal cities are making up to €325m (£272m) in revenue each year from people smuggling, the commander of a EU military task force in the Mediterranean Sea says in a confidential report. In a report to the EU’s 28 nations, Rear Admiral Enrico Credendino warns “migrant smuggling, originating far beyond Libyan borders, remains a major source of income among locals in Libyan coastal cities”. AdvertisementBefore risking their lives to cross the sea, refugees and migrants are frequently kidnapped by gangs and forced into “modern slavery”. It has claimed the vast majority of over 4,600 lives of refugees lost in attempted sea crossings so far this year — making 2016 the deadliest year for refugees trying to reach Europe. Libya’s internationally recognised government has pledged to tackle people smuggling in the Mediterranean.

Source: Libya Today December 01, 2016 16:28 UTC