It is the deadliest shipwreck of the year. At least 45 migrants and refugees died off Libya on Wednesday, according to the United Nations in Geneva. According to the UN agencies for refugees (UNHCR) and for migration (IOM), the 37 survivors rescued by fishermen told that the engine of their boat exploded off Zwara (Libya).
The survivors from Senegal, Mali, Chad and Ghana were taken into custody in Libya, the two agencies added. This new tragedy brings the toll to at least 302 dead who perished while trying to cross the Mediterranean. But the real number is unknown and probably higher, according to the agencies.
The agencies regretted “the absence of a European program in this area”. They reiterated their opinion that Libya cannot be considered a safe destination to which migrants can be returned.
In this country, they “risk being victims of ongoing conflicts, severe human rights violations and arbitrary detentions”, according to them. Since the start of the year, more than 7,000 people have been returned to Libya.
"Any assistance and responsibilities assigned to Libyan search and rescue entities must be conditional on no one being arbitrarily detained, mistreated or subjected to human rights violations after disembarkation," the two agencies said.
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“Without these guarantees, support would have to be reviewed and search and rescue responsibilities redefined,” they say.