Vincent Cochetel, UNHCR Special Envoy for the Central Mediterranean tweeted that, “Whether saved by NGOs at sea or not, refugees and migrants will continue to flee from Libya, as they do from Tunisia & Morocco.”
“Solutions based on applicable legal norms, including elementary considerations of humanity, must be found to disembark to safe places those rescued,” he added.
Notably, the Nigerian Federal Government, in collaboration with the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), has evacuated 117 migrants from Libya, according to Nigeria’s National Online newspaper.
The evacuation came a week after the Nigerian Mission in Tripoli successfully evacuated 137 stranded Nigerian Migrants from Libya, the Chargé D’affaires of the Nigerian Mission to Libya, Kabiru Musa told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
Musa said the Migrants, who included 89 men, 22 women, two children, and four infants, left Tripoli and will land at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMA) in Lagos. He added that the evacuees comprised of 48 people, who were released from Libyan detention facilities.
Last month, Nigerian police announced the rescuing of nine women, who were being trafficked to Libya, according to the Eagle Online news.
Nigeria’s State Police Public Relations Officer, Gambo Isah said that on 29 September, a criminal hideout in Daura Local Government Area was raided, and the nine migrants were rescued.
“In the course of the investigation, the victims stated that they were conveyed from Kano State to Daura by a driver, who on sighting the Police team abandoned the victims. They further stated that they were en route to Libya through the Niger Republic border. An investigation is ongoing, with a view to arrest the fleeing suspect,” Isah concluded.