On Wednesday, the non-governmental organization, SOS Mediterranee announced that its vessel, the “Ocean Viking,” rescued 26 migrants, including two minors off the Libyan coast.
The humanitarian organization shared images showing the migrants crowded on a small fiberglass boat, as it sailed in international waters.
However, it stated that the boat was rescued in the Libyan Search and Rescue Region. The destination of the 26 rescued migrants remains unknown.
SOS Mediterranee has saved more than 39,000 people in the Mediterranean since 2016, especially in the central region, which represents the most dangerous migration route in the world.
Since January 2023, 2,210 migrants were reported missing attempting to cross the Mediterranean to Europe, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
Notably, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), a renowned humanitarian organisation, revealed alarming statistics regarding the plight of migrants in Libya. According to their latest report, a staggering 61% of migrants under their care have experienced torture in Libya, with 20% of these individuals also suffering from sexual abuse.
The Italian news agency, ANSA conveyed insights from Carmela Verga, a psychologist actively involved in MSF’s project supporting migrants and refugees who have survived violence and torture. Verga detailed the harrowing experiences of those aided by MSF, stating that, “punches, kicks, beatings with batons, whipping with thick cables, bastinado, burning, and sexual torture are the forms of violence these individuals endure.”
MSF highlighted that detention facilities are the primary locations for such acts of violence. Verga elaborated on the devastating impact of torture, which is “committed with the intention of destroying an individual’s identity.” She explained that “physical pain not only causes immediate suffering, but also revives painful memories.”
From January 2021 to September 2023, the project attended to 194 individuals, with 57 accepted in the first nine months of 2023 alone. Of these, 61% reported experiencing torture in Libya, 37% in their home countries, and the remaining 2% during their transit in other countries. Furthermore, 58% of the violence occurred in detention facilities.
This report by MSF underscores the dire circumstances faced by migrants in Libya, and the urgent need for international attention and intervention to address these human rights violations.