GENEVA - A new report says thousands of African refugees and migrants die or face abuse while traveling across the Sahara Desert toward Libya and the gateway to Europe. The report by the U.N. refugee agency and the Mixed Migration Center at the Danish Refugee Council describes the harrowing journeys taken by east and west African irregular migrants along the migratory route. Around 16,000 refugees and migrants surveyed over the last two years have described brutality and inhumanity suffered at the hands of smugglers, traffickers, militias and even government officials. “The main threats in Libya include physical violence followed by detention, death, robberies and sexual violence. The report says the migrants and refugees who survive abuse en route are often left with severe mental health issues.

Source: The North Africa Journal July 29, 2020 19:18 UTC