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At least 45 African migrants have died in the worst on the Libyan coast so far this year, two United Nations agencies reported on Wednesday. In a statement, the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) note that “some 37 people, mainly from Senegal, Mali, Chad and Ghana, were rescued by local fishermen and later detained after land". Survivors said 45 others, five of them children, had died when the boat's engine exploded off the Libyan coast of Zwara.
The shipwreck raises at least 302 deaths on this route so far in 2020, the agencies indicated. In recent months, hundreds of migrants have been detained at sea and their boats, sent back to Libya despite the situation of violence in the country. The Missing Migrants Project, also linked to UNHCR and the IOM, warns that the number is very likely to be much higher, as many "ghost ships" leave Libya every week without any registration whatsoever.
Libya, embroiled in a war, is one of the main routes for migrants trying to access Europe. Currently it is estimated that the country is home to around 654,000 of them. They often live in precarious conditions, with little access to health care.
Libyan state ships have claimed responsibility for the rescues in the absence of a European Union program and more than 7,000 people have been returned to the country this year, the statement said. UNHCR and IOM point out that Libya should not be considered a safe port for migrants nor should they be landed there, and propose an alternative system whereby rescued or intercepted people are taken to safe ports.
“When commercial vessels are the closest ship capable of salvage, they should be quickly provided with a safe port for the disembarkation of rescued passengers. They should not be instructed to return people to Libya, where they risk suffering from the ongoing conflict, serious human rights violations and arbitrary arrests after landing, ”the agencies explained in the statement. "It is urgently necessary to strengthen the current search and rescue devices to respond to calls for help," they added.