The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said that 280 migrants are stranded in a ship affiliated to the Coast Guard of the Government of National Accord (GNA). The Libyan authorities banned the migrants from disembarking and entering the capital Tripoli.
On Saturday, the IOM said in a statement that the fate of the migrants is still unclear in light of the current escalating conflict between the Libyan National Army and GNA forces. Moreover, the Italian announcement that its ports are not safe due to the outbreak of coronavirus adds another layer of difficulty to the impasse.
On his part, Federico Soda, director of the IOM said that hundreds of migrants, exhausted after a 72-hour perilous journey, are being held in a crowded boat under tense circumstances.
He added that the current situation cannot continue and stressed the need to adopt a comprehensive approach to end the migrant crisis in the Mediterranean Sea.
Federico Soda pointed out that more than 500 migrants left Libya this week in an attempt to reach Europe as weather conditions improved and conflict escalated in the North African country. About 150 of them were rescued by a non-governmental organisation, while another 67 arrived in the Italian island of Lampedusa.
The IOM called for a comprehensive deployment mechanism in the Mediterranean Sea, calling on European countries to act now to end the return of migrants rescued at sea to Libya and to ensure their safety.