The International Criminal Court (ICC) has announced a one-year extension of its joint task force dedicated to investigating crimes committed against migrants in Libya.
The ICC clarified that the task force is comprised of the Office of the Prosecutor and contributions from the Netherlands, Spain, Italy, the United Kingdom, and the European Union (EU) Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation, known as Europol.
This announcement was made during a meeting in Madrid, Spain, where Nazhat Shameem Khan, the Deputy Prosecutor of the ICC, signed the extension memorandum for the joint task force.
The decision to extend the investigation reflects the ongoing concern and commitment of the international community to addressing the serious allegations of human rights abuses in Libya. In particular it refers to the violence against vulnerable migrant populations. The task force’s continued efforts aim to bring justice to the victims and hold those responsible accountable.
International humanitarian organisations report that at least 5,500 migrants have been pushed from Tunisia, towards the borders with Libya. A further 3,000 have been sent towards the borders with Algeria since June, according to Agence France-Presse (AFP).
Citing sources, AFP noted that over 100 migrants have lost their lives in the Libyan-Tunisian desert this summer, confirming that “collective expulsion operations to Libya and Algeria are ongoing.”
A significant number of those displaced towards the borders were individuals arrested by the Tunisian authorities, as they attempted to leave for Europe. Most of the migrants intercepted on the eastern coast of Tunisia near Sfax, located only about 130 kilometers from the Italian island of Lampedusa, have been detained.
The pace of mass migration accelerated in February, after Tunisian President, Kais Saied denounced the arrival of “hordes of “illegal”immigrants” from Sub-Saharan Africa. He considered them part of a “criminal plan” aimed at “changing the country’s demographic composition,” as reported by the AFP.
The report highlighted that this rhetoric triggered a violent anti-migrant campaign, leading several African countries, notably the Ivory Coast and Guinea, to repatriate thousands of their citizens. Meanwhile, many migrants attempted to escape via boats, resulting in several drownings.
In August, the Libyan Interior Ministry of the Government of National Unity (GNU) announced the recovery of 27 bodies of undocumented migrants, in the border area with Tunisia.