Migrants and Refugees

Libya

LATEST UPDATES

28/06/2023 – 12/07/2023

  • On July 7, Alarm Phone was in communication with 250 people in distress fleeing Libya. On July 9, they were pushed back from Malta SAR zone and imprisoned in Benghazi. 
  • On July 7, while SOS Mediterranée was conducting a rescue the Libyan cost-guards fired several times. The NGO rescued 11 people. 
  • On July 6, the Spanish  NGO   Open Arms rescued around 300 people in 6 rescue operations in the central Mediterranean, off Libya. Among them, there are many unaccompanied minors, women at late stages of pregnancy and a 5 year-old boy. The Italian authorities have designated Brindisi as a port to receive those rescued on land.
  • From July 2, violence against migrants increase in Sfax (Tunisia) : 
    • On July 2, Tunisian military violently arrested 48 people. 20 of them were expelled to Libya. Among them, two pregnant women need medical care. They were transferred to Ben Guardane, where they subjected to beatings and mistreatment, before being left at the Libyan border. 
    • On 5 July, more than 350 people were blocked in the militarised border zone between Tunisia and Libya, facing mistreatment, the death of their loved ones in front of their eyes and rape. Some of them are deported from Tunsia to the deserted border region with Algeria. 
  • On June 29, 20 people were at risk, trying to escape from Sabratah in Libya. They were finally rescued in Lampedusa on June 30. 
  • On June 28, 41 people were in distress in the Central Mediterranean Sea after leaving Libya. More and more water is entering in the boat. Although the Italian Cost Guards said they would launch a rescue, the boat remains in danger. Alarm Phone fears that they were pushed back to Libya. 
  • Since June 16, several far-right fake news posts are published on social networks pretending that around 500 000 migrants would be on their way to reach Italy, from Libya, and that they want to invade Europe.  

For the period from June 2021 to May 2022, click here.

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