The Libyan Ministry of Interior announced the recovery of 27 bodies of undocumented migrants, in the border area with Tunisia.
The Crime Scene Investigation team, affiliated with the Criminal Investigations Department (CID), has begun working on the case.
Meanwhile, the Border Security Administration has ramped up security patrols along the border desert region. The objective is to thoroughly search the area, and prevent further migrant flows.
On Monday, the National Commission for Human Rights in Libya (NCHRL) announced an increase in the number of bodies found in the country’s border region, reaching 12.
Ahmed Hamza, the Head of the NCHRL, told Al-Araby Al-Jadeed newspaper that the body recovery unit, affiliated with the Emergency Medicine and Government Support Center, “recently retrieved the remains of two African migrants in the border area, bringing the total number of recovered bodies to 12, including children.”
The Government of National Unity (GNU) has formed a working group between the Ministries of Interior and Foreign Affairs, as well as the General Staff Headquarters, to coordinate efforts regarding the handling of migrants coming from Tunisia to Libya.
Meanwhile, humanitarian organizations continue to call upon Tunisian authorities to halt the deportation of migrants to the desert.
The rise in migrant deaths highlights the urgency of addressing the challenges faced by migrants seeking safer and better lives.
Hamza’s revelations shed light on the grim reality faced by migrants who embark on perilous journeys, often risking their lives in the hope of finding security and a brighter future.
The fate of dozens of sub-Saharan Africans near the Libyan border has become uncertain, as they claim that Tunisian authorities transported them from the city of Sfax earlier this month.
The Tunisian government then reportedly moved them to shelters in two towns. Human rights groups have said that dozens are still stranded in extremely difficult conditions, left thirsty and hungry, in an unprecedented heatwave.
Tunisian President, Kais Saied condemned illegal migration from sub-Saharan Africa in February, saying it aimed to change the demographic structure of Tunisia. Rights groups criticized these statements as racist. The African Union also criticized Tunisia, and urged it to “avoid hate speech.”
