CAIRO (AP) — A leading rights group on Monday urged the European Union to reverse its migration policy on Libya, saying the approach helps return migrants to “hellish” conditions in the North African country. Amnesty International said in a statement more than 82,000 migrants were intercepted and returned to Libya in the past five years since the EU began its cooperation with Libyan authorities to block migrants from reaching European shores. “EU leaders’ cooperation with Libyan authorities is keeping desperate people trapped in unimaginable horrors in Libya,” said Matteo de Bellis, a migration researcher at Amnesty International. In recent years, the EU accelerated efforts to stem the flow of migrants through Libya. The EU money, much of it funneled through Italy, has been used to train staff and refurbish boats for Libyan authorities.

Source: Libya Today January 31, 2022 21:26 UTC