This week, the UN migration agency announced the discovery of a mass grave containing “at least 65 migrants’ bodies” in southwest Libya.
According to a spokesman for the International Organization for Migration (IOM), Libyan security forces uncovered the mass grave.
The IOM expressed profound shock and alarm at the discovery, stating that the circumstances of the deaths remain unknown, but it is believed that the migrants died while being smuggled through the desert.
The instability that has plagued Libya for over a decade, following the 2011 overthrow and killing of dictator Moamer Kadhafi in a NATO-backed uprising, has created fertile ground for human traffickers.
These traffickers have long been accused of committing abuses against migrants.
The IOM acknowledged that Libyan authorities have initiated an investigation into the deaths and called on them to ensure a dignified recovery, identification, and transfer of the remains of the deceased migrants, as well as to notify and assist their families.
Each report of a missing migrant or loss of life represents a grieving family searching for answers about their loved ones or acknowledging the tragedy of their loss, emphasized a spokesperson for the IOM.
The organization stressed the urgent need to address the challenges of irregular migration, including through a coordinated response to the smuggling of migrants and trafficking in persons.
The lack of regular pathways providing opportunities for legal migration perpetuates such tragedies along the route, the IOM warned.
According to the IOM’s Missing Migrants Project, at least 3,129 deaths and disappearances were recorded in 2023 along the Mediterranean route to Europe, making it the world’s deadliest migratory route.
The IOM urged authorities in countries along the route to enhance regional cooperation to ensure the safety and protection of migrants, regardless of their status, and across all stages of their journeys.
