The bodies of at least 65 migrants have been found in a mass grave in Libya, the International Organization for Migration said on Friday, adding that it was “deeply shocked and appalled”.
The International Organization for Migration said in a statement that while some details of the deceased, such as their nationality and the circumstances of their death, were not yet known, “it is believed they died while being smuggled through the desert.”
Human trafficking gangs have taken advantage of Libya’s political unrest since former ruler Muammar Gaddafi was overthrown and killed in a 2011 NATO-backed uprising. The country has since become a gateway for migrants seeking to escape conflict and poverty. to Europe.
Migrants from other parts of Africa come to Libya trying to cross the Mediterranean. The route to Europe, largely because of human trafficking, has become one of the most dangerous migration routes in the world. The International Organization for Migration’s Missing Migrants Project reported that at least 3,129 people died and went missing along the route in 2023.
Migrants intercepted and brought back to Libya are held in government-run detention centers and subjected to horrific abuse, the Associated Press said, citing an International Organization for Migration program.
The International Organization for Migration added in a statement on Friday that it appreciated the ongoing investigation by Libyan authorities into the deaths and urged them to identify the deceased, notify and assist their families, and move the remains.
Tripoli’s Interior Ministry’s Criminal Investigation Department released drone footage of the mass graves in an unconfirmed Facebook message on Monday, which appeared to show numbered bodies with white markers and yellow tape, Reuters reported.
The department noted that the body was found south of Tripoli. They allegedly took DNA samples and buried the body in a cemetery on the order of the Prosecutor General of the Appeals Chamber of the town of Galion.
The IOM said the deaths demonstrated “the urgent need to address the challenge of irregular migration by addressing migrant smuggling and trafficking”.
“Without regular pathways to provide opportunities for legal immigration, tragedies such as this will continue to be a feature along this route,” the report said.
This report contains information from Reuters, the Associated Press and AFP.
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