ON BOARD THE GEO BARENTS IN THE MEDITERRANEAN SEA (AP) — A U.N. migration agency official expressed concerns Friday over the disappearance of thousands of Europe-bound migrants who were intercepted and returned to Libya as more and more desperate people risk their lives trying to cross the Mediterranean Sea to Europe. However, only 6,000 have been accounted for in official detention centers in the North African country, she said. The fate and whereabouts of thousands of other migrants remain unknown, she added. “We fear that many are ending up in the hands of criminal groups and traffickers, while others are being extorted for release,” Msehli said. A spokesman for Libya’s Interior Ministry, which oversees the detention centers, did not immediately respond to a request by The Associated Press for comment.

Source: Libya Today September 17, 2021 19:41 UTC