Tunisia’s coast has recently been hit by a new humanitarian tragedy as authorities recovered the bodies of 22 irregular migrants off the coast of the central eastern province of Sfax.

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The official spokesman for the Sfax court, Hisham Ben Ayad, explained that these bodies have been discovered in stages in the port of Sidi Youssef (off the coast of Sfax) since last Saturday, and the bodies appear to be Africans from sub-Saharan African countries, and were deposited in the mortuary.

The spokesman said it was not yet known if the bodies were caused by the sinking of one or more boats.

The coast of Sfax is a major departure point for irregular migrants, both from sub-Saharan countries and from Tunisians seeking to reach the Italian coast.

In this context, the coast guard announced the arrest of five people wanted in cases of smuggling migrants and intermediaries in Sfax.

As weather conditions improve, the Mediterranean is witnessing an increase in illegal migration attempts, which often end in drowning accidents and large human losses, and according to the International Organization for Migration, the number of people who died in the Mediterranean during 2023 reached more than 2,498 people, an increase of 75% from 2022.
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#Algeria_News #Illegal_Migration #International_Organization_for_Migration #Italy #Libya_News #Mediterranean_Sea #Sfax #Sub_Saharan_Africa #Tunisia_News

The Tunisian coast guard announced the recovery of nine bodies in a state of decomposition from the sea off the coast of Mahdia, five of which were found on Cheba beach and two on Salqata beach.

Farid Ben Juha, spokesman for the Mahdia and Monastir courts, said the bodies were taken to the region’s hospital for genetic analysis to identify the victims.

The Tunisian official denied information circulating about the links of these bodies to sub-Saharan migrants, noting that investigations are still underway to determine the exact causes of these deaths.

The incident comes weeks after 36 bodies of irregular migrants were recovered in Tunisia in separate incidents on the coast of Djerba and Sfax.

According to the International Organization for Migration, nearly a hundred people have died or disappeared in the Central and Eastern Mediterranean since the beginning of the year, double the figure recorded in the same period last year.

The phenomenon of “stealth boats”, which are found floating at sea or anchored on beaches with no people on board, has also been reported, suggesting migrants may drown during the transit without their bodies being found.
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#International_Organization_for_Migration #Mahdia_Coast #Mediterranean_Sea #Salakta_Beach #Sfax_City #Tunisia #Tunisian_Coast_Guard

Tunisian authorities have sentenced sub-Saharan migrants to prison terms for carrying out violence while removing their tents from the capital.

Tunisian authorities face warnings from a number of politicians about exploiting this controversial phenomenon, some of whom consider it an “imminent danger” that could lead to the extension of President Kais Saied’s presidential term and the postponement of elections expected next fall.

The Tunisian authorities removed all tents erected by irregular African migrants in the capital and relocated them to other areas far from the capital.

The southeastern province of Sfax witnessed demonstrations demanding the rapid evacuation of thousands of migrants from sub-Saharan Africa in the region, with demonstrators raising slogans condemning the resettlement policy and emphasizing land and identity rights.

Saber al-Benbli, the first accredited officer in Beja province, said there is no intention to settle migrants in the region, stressing the importance of tightening control over them.
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#Illegal_Migration #International_Organization_for_Migration #Kais_Saied #Tunisia #Tunisia_News #Tunisian_Elections #Tunisian_President

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has published a report revealing its vision and strategic plan to deal with the ongoing crisis in Libya during the current year 2024.

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The organization’s strategic vision is to work to ensure that irregular migrants, internally displaced persons, and other mobile populations, including those affected by conflict and disasters associated with natural hazards, coexist peacefully with local communities, in an environment that respects human rights, dignity and well-being.

The plan also focuses on improving the resilience of irregular migrants and communities, through life-saving assistance and promoting the sustainable management of irregular migration.

The report stressed the importance of participating in targeted interventions to support displaced people in Libya to reach durable solutions, noting that the weak rule of law and the lack of good governance of illegal migration have made foreigners vulnerable to challenges and concerns related to their protection.

The report pointed to the negative effects of climate change on Libya, where the country ranked 40th globally as the most affected country by disasters and climate change, especially droughts, lack of rainfall, floods, sand, and dust storms.

The conflict has left Libya highly vulnerable to climate variability, affecting agricultural production, livelihoods, food, and economic security for a large proportion of the population and vulnerable groups such as illegal migrants.

The report concluded by emphasizing the importance of taking urgent action to address climate challenges and ensure the stability of the electrical grid, with a focus on sustainable water resources management and sanitation treatment, as well as promoting investment in public infrastructure.

#floods #Illegal_Migration #International_Organization_for_Migration #Libya_News #Libyan_Crisis #natural_disasters #Rain #Storms

The International Organization for Migration announced that the Voluntary Humanitarian Return Program has helped return 80,000 irregular migrants from Libya to their countries of origin since 2015.

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According to the statement published by the organization on its “Facebook” page, these migrants returned to 49 different countries in Africa and Asia.

The statement noted that the Humanitarian Voluntary Return Program constitutes a “humanitarian lifeline” for migrants stranded in Libya, where they can return to their homes and rebuild their lives in dignity.

Among the program’s beneficiaries are 2,733 victims of human trafficking, 843 unaccompanied or separated children, and 5,144 migrants with medical needs.
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#Africa #Asia #Europe #European_Union #Illegal_Migration #International_Organization_for_Migration #Italy #Libya_News #Mediterranean #Switzerland #Tawhid_Pasha #Voluntary_Humanitarian_Return_Program

The European-African Conference was held in the city of Benghazi in eastern Libya to discuss ways to address irregular migration from Libya to Europe.

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The conference, whose sessions began on Saturday, called on the Libyan government appointed by the House of Representatives, in the presence of official delegations from European and African countries.

The government’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Abdul Hadi Al-Huwaij, announced that the conference aims to bring together various parties from Africa, North Africa, and Europe to find unconventional solutions to address the issue of migration.

Libya has previously witnessed similar international conferences that addressed the issue of illegal immigration, but the crisis is still continuing for several reasons.

Those following the immigration file called for the elimination of the immigration brokerage market spread in most Libyan cities, noting the existence of a thriving trade run by gangs, armed groups, and sometimes official security agencies.

United Nations statistics showed that Libya harbors approximately 704,000 migrants of 43 nationalities, according to data collected from 100 Libyan municipalities in mid-2023.

Last March, the International Organization for Migration announced that the bodies of 65 migrants were found in a mass grave in southwestern Libya.
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#Benghazi #Benghazi_News #Europe #Illegal_Immigration #International_Organization_for_Migration #Libya #Libya_News #Libyan_Government_appointed_by_the_House_of_Representatives #Migration_Crisis #Osama_Hamad #United_Nations

The Libyan crisis constituted a multi-dimensional international phenomenon, as its repercussions were not limited to political turmoil, but rather became an international dilemma as a result of illegal immigration towards Europe.

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Written By #Nidal_Al_Khedary

#Victims #Armed_Groups #Beaches #Blackmail #Chad #Death #Dollar #Drowning #Egypt #Europe #Illegal_Migration #International_Organization_for_Migration #Italy #Libya #Mediterranean_Sea #Security #Sexual_Assault #Sudan

From the last week of May until early June, the International Organization for Migration returned 995 migrants, including women and children, to Libya after they attempted to reach Europe via the Mediterranean.

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The organization’s weekly report stated that the returned group included 38 women and 15 children, and these migrants were transferred to detention centers in Tripoli, Al-Zawiya, and Sabratha.

According to the organization, the total number of migrants who have been returned to Libya since the beginning of this year has reached 7,059, including 221 children and 451 women.

Reports indicate that 282 deaths and 449 missing persons were recorded during dangerous journeys across the Mediterranean in the first half of the year.

General estimates also show an increase in the rates of irregular migration in the years 2023 and 2024.
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#Europe #International_Organization_for_Migration #Libya #Libya_News #Mediterranean_Sea #Sabratha_City #Tripoli #Zawiya_City

The International Organization for Migration announced that Sudan may soon witness the number of internally displaced persons exceeding ten million, while this crisis is considered to be the largest in the world in terms of internal displacement.

The head of the organization’s mission to Sudan, Mohamed Rifaat, expressed his deep concern about what is happening, stressing that every displaced person suffers from a humanitarian tragedy that requires urgent intervention.

Rifaat added that more than half of the displaced are women, and a quarter of them are children under the age of five, stressing the difficulties that relief agencies face in meeting the increasing needs due to the lack of funding that hinders efforts to provide food, shelter, and medical aid.
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The International Organization for Migration reported that 241 migrants were intercepted in the Mediterranean and forcibly returned to Libya by Libyan Coast Guard forces during the period from 2 to 8 June.

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According to the organization, the number of migrants intercepted during the year 2024 has reached 7,100 migrants from the Mediterranean to Libyan territory, to date.

The international organization stated that the number of deaths reached 282 deaths and 449 missing people during the first half of the year.
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#Europe #Illegal_Migration #International_Organization_for_Migration #Libya_News #Libyan_Coast_Guard #Libyan_Institution_for_Human_Rights #Mediterranean #Migration_to_Europe

The government appointed by the Libyan House of Representatives announced today the deportation of a group of irregular migrants from the Brak Al-Shati region to Niger, using land routes for this purpose.

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These migrants were arrested inside hideouts used for human trafficking, as the head of the Anti-Illegal Immigration Service in the Southern Region, Major General Abdul Rahman Al-Ansari, explained that these deportations come as part of ongoing efforts to return migrants to their countries in a manner consistent with Libyan laws.

This step is considered part of a broader policy followed by the Libyan government to address issues of irregular migration in the country.
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The Libyan Anti-Illegal Migration Agency branch in Tobruk deported 59 immigrants of three different nationalities to their countries of origin.

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The statement issued by the agency stated that among the deportees were six people from Sudan, including a person infected with HIV/AIDS, two from Nigeria, and the rest from Egypt, including someone suffering from hepatitis C.

This was implemented in accordance with the procedures followed in deporting migrants, as the authorities made arrangements to ensure the return of these individuals to their homes in an organized manner, while paying attention to critical health cases within the group.
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#AIDS #Hepatitis #International_Organization_for_Migration #Libya #Libya_News #Libyan_Anti_Illegal_Immigration_Service #Migration #Tobruk

A report issued by the Displacement Tracking Matrix program of the International Organization for Migration in Libya revealed the registration of more than 725,000 migrants distributed among 100 Libyan municipalities.

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This report monitors the dynamic movement and ongoing humanitarian challenges facing migrants coming from 44 different nationalities.

According to data collected during the period between March and May of this year, Libya witnessed a slight increase in the number of migrants by 1% compared to the numbers recorded last December.

This is considered the largest number of immigrants recorded since the beginning of data collection in 2016, although it is still less than the numbers recorded before the political events and unrest in 2011, when the number was approximately 2.5 million immigrants.
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#Displacement #International_Organization_for_Migration #Kufra_City #Libya

Data issued by the Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM) program, supervised by the International Organization for Migration, reported that Libya witnessed a slight increase in the number of migrants during the first three months of this year.

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Statistics showed that the number of immigrants in the country reached 725,304 immigrants, coming from 44 different countries and residing in about 100 Libyan municipalities, recording an increase of 1% compared to the last quarter of last year.

The organization indicates that this number is the highest since the beginning of data recording in 2016, although it is still much lower than the number that was estimated before the conflict that broke out in 2011, which amounted to about 2.5 million migrants.
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#International_Organization_for_Migration #Kufra_City #Libya #Migrants #Sudan

More than 50 migrants died while about 200 others were rescued in a tragic incident that occurred on the border between Niger and Libya.

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The incident took place in the region known as Agadez, a dangerous crossing point for migrants seeking to reach Europe through the barren desert. The situation was exacerbated for migrants due to the harsh desert conditions in the region, water scarcity, and extremely high temperatures.

Humanitarian teams found the bodies of the deceased scattered in the desert, while another group who had been abandoned by human smugglers was rescued.

Humanitarian organizations called on concerned countries to intensify border control efforts and combat human smuggling networks, calling for more humanitarian support to migrants stranded under these harsh conditions.
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#Agades_Region #Illegal_immigrants #International_Organization_for_Migration #Libya #Niger #Sahara

A report issued by the United Nations revealed that migrants and refugees who take migration routes through Africa face deadly risks that are twice as high as those facing them on sea journeys towards Europe.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the International Organization for Migration participated in the study, noting that serious violations such as kidnapping, sexual exploitation, and violence have become common on these roads.

The Special Envoy of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees for the Western and Central Mediterranean, Vincent Cochetel, presented the findings of the report in Geneva, based on interviews that included more than 30,000 migrants.

Cochetel explained that many migrants were left to their fate in the desert, where the living, the dead and the sick were left without help.
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#Africa #Europe #Illegal_immigrants #International_Organization_for_Migration #Mediterranean #United_Nations #Vincent_Cochetel

UN Human Rights Commissioner Volker Türk expressed deep concern over reports of the discovery of a mass grave in the desert on the Libyan-Tunisian border.

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In his speech before the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva on Tuesday, he stressed that his office is closely following these disturbing developments in Libya.

Turk called on the authorities to respond quickly to United Nations inquiries and conduct a comprehensive investigation into these crimes. He also condemned the widespread violations against migrants and refugees.
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In a related context, the International Organization for Migration indicated that last March the bodies of at least 65 migrants were discovered in a mass grave in southwestern Libya.

#Human_Rights #International_Organization_for_Migration #Libya #Libyan_Tunisian_Border #Mass_Grave #Tunisia #United_Nations

The English-language Bengali newspaper “Dhaka Tribune” reported that the Bangladeshi ambassador to Libya, Major General Abul Hasanat Muhammad Khair Bashar, is making efforts to address the issue of illegal immigration.

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According to the newspaper, the ambassador is actively working to expand the labor market for Bangladeshi workers in Libya, while addressing human trafficking issues, after signing a memorandum of understanding between Bangladesh and Libya to facilitate the recruitment of Bangladeshi workers.

The ambassador confirmed that about 2,500 Bangladeshis obtained jobs in Libya over the past year, including doctors, nurses, chartered accountants and workers, and pointed out that there are many challenges, such as the tendency of some Bangladeshi workers to run away from their jobs to try to reach Italy illegally, which causes problems.
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#Bengal #Bengali_Ambassador_to_Libya #European_Union #Illegal_Migration #International_Organization_for_Migration #Libya

The Libyan Minister of the Interior, Imad Trabelsi, announced his country’s categorical rejection of the settlement of immigrants on its territory, noting that between 70 and 80% of foreigners in Libya are “irregular.”

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Al-Trabelsi explained in a press conference in Tripoli that “today there are approximately 2.5 million foreigners in Libya,” noting that “70 to 80% of them entered illegally through porous areas of the country.”

The minister stressed that the immigration issue is a national security issue for Libya, adding: “The time has come to solve this problem, because Libya cannot continue to pay the price.”

He pointed out that migrants, unlike Libyans and regular foreigners, do not pay for electricity or taxes, which has led to Libya transforming from a transit country into a resettlement country.
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#Illegal_Migration #Imad_Trabelsi #International_Organization_for_Migration #Libya #Mediterranean_Sea #Migrant_Settlement #Sahara #Tripoli #Volker_Türk