Human smugglers kill 37 African migrants in Libya

TMP – 24/03/2017

In the first week of March alone, human smuggling gangs in Libya have killed 37 African migrants, in separate incidents, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

Of those killed, 22 died when fighting broke out between rival smuggling gangs, a spokesperson from IOM said on 7 March. The spokesperson added that a further 100 migrants were wounded during the fight.

In a separate incident, smugglers killed 15 African migrants in the western Libyan city of Sabratha, The Libya Observer has reported.

These migrants’ remains were found with gunshot wounds around Fanar forest near the coast, where they were crammed into a landfill.

The killings allegedly occurred when the smugglers got into a fight with migrants over pre-departure payments.

According to the report, smugglers were in charge of about 175 African migrants when the incident occurred, and the whereabouts of the remaining 160 migrants is still unknown.

The latest deaths come in addition to the 140 bodies of dead migrants found on Libyan beaches so far this year, and the 477 deaths at sea as migrants attempt to get from Libya to Europe.

IOM believes that the political crisis and security vacuum in Libya over the last six years has enabled dangerous smuggling syndicates to profit from the exploitation of illegal migrants.