Head of the Libyan Parliament’s National Committee for Migration Strategies and Policies, Rabia Aburas called for urgent action to be taken against those responsible for the murder of 15 migrants in Sabratha.
According to a statement, Aburas called on the Attorney General’s office to “immediately move the criminal case, and reveal the perpetrators of this heinous crime.” She added that “this did not represent the morals of the Libyan people and was not carried out with any connection to humanity, customs, or local and international laws.”
Aburas also renewed her call to the competent Libyan authorities to intensify efforts to stop human trafficking. The MP called on international partners, most notably the African Union and the European Union to cooperate with the Libyan authorities in monitoring the common borders with Libya. As well as fight human trafficking gangs in Africa, Libya, and Europe.
“There is an urgent need to review and develop joint cooperation programs to achieve their goals, in a manner that guarantees the safety and security of human beings and the state,” she noted.
Aburas added that “Libya cannot handle the migration crisis alone. Source countries continue to ignore the heinous crimes that happen to their citizens, leaving them to meet their fate, and holding Libya responsible for the lack of justice in their countries.”
She confirmed that the Libyan Parliament is “working to issue a national strategy to manage the migration crisis, with just development and human rights foundations and strategies.”
On Friday, the Libyan Red Crescent said in a statement that rescue workers have recovered 15 bodies found on the coast in Sabratha. These included a number of bodies that were burned inside a boat, and others on the beach.
A security source in Sabratha told Reuters that the bodies were migrants caught in a dispute between two rival human traffickers in the city, a major hub for illegal migration across the Mediterranean.
The Libyan Red Crescent added that all of the bodies were recovered and placed in the hospital fridges to complete the legal procedures.