The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) stated that the unidentified bodies of at least 65 migrants have been found in Libya, North Africa. The organisation believes the migrants were being smuggled and died trying to cross the desert towards the Mediterranean.
In a statement, the IOM said it was “profoundly shocked” by the mass grave, highlighting that Libya officials have opened an investigation. IOM called on the smuggling of migrants, finding an urgent need to respond to the legal migration pathways. "Each report of a missing migrant or a loss of life represents a grieving family searching for answers about their loved ones or acknowledging the tragedy of the loss,” an IOM spokesperson said. "The cost of inadequate action is evident in the increasing human deaths and the disturbing conditions migrants find themselves in," he added.
Libya is one of the main departure places for migrants attempting to cross the Mediterranean and enter Europe. The Geneva-based IOM also urged Libyan authorities and other UN organisations to guarantee a respectful recovery, identification, and transfer of the remains. The mass grave was discovered after at least 60 migrants who set off from the Libyan coast drowned when their rubber dinghy capsized in the Mediterranean Sea.
The International Organization for Migration reported earlier this month that 2023 was the worst year for migrants since records began a decade ago, with at least 8,565 people dying on migration routes around the world.
The United Nations which provides humanitarian assistance to vulnerable individuals in Libya, claimed the figure was 20% higher than the previous year.
