The international organization reported, on Tuesday evening, that it provided medical support to 24 people who survived the incident, where the boat was carrying over 75 Sudanese refugees. This incident follows earlier reports by Sudanese media that “11 Sudanese drowned in a tragic accident in Libyan territorial waters” during their attempt to cross the Mediterranean Sea towards Europe, aiming to reach Greece and then Britain in search of asylum.
Filippo Grandi, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, warned last month about the increasing number of migrants departing from Libya and North Africa towards Europe due to the severe funding shortage for his agency. Grandi called on European capitals to fund existing asylum facilities in Africa instead of working on creating new systems, emphasizing “growing evidence that thousands of Sudanese refugees are now moving north towards Libya and from there to Europe, instead of staying within Sudan or neighboring Chad.”
Libya is considered one of the main transit points for irregular migrants seeking to reach Europe, placing it at the heart of regional and international efforts to control and manage migration. In this context, reports have emerged indicating that some international organizations are moving towards implementing programs to integrate migrants, including resettling thousands of them within Libya, which has sparked widespread controversy in Libyan political circles.
