Amnesty International on Thursday condemned the “horrific violations” being committed against migrants returned to Libya with the cooperation of European states after trying to cross the Mediterranean. It said new evidence had emerged of “harrowing violations, including sexual violence, against men, women and children” intercepted at sea and forcibly returned to detention centres in the north African country. It cited survivor testimony from one facility of guards subjecting women to sexual violence “in exchange for their release or for essentials such as clean water”. Nearly 900 migrants have died this year trying to reach Europe from North Africa, according to the International Organization for Migration. The UNHCR said Libya’s coastguard returned more than 13,000 people to Libya between January and June this year, surpassing the number returned in the whole of 2020.

Source: The North Africa Journal July 15, 2021 14:37 UTC