People smugglers have increasingly packed migrants and refugees into old and dangerous fishing vessels that set out from Libya to Italy or Malta. AdvertisementDespite repeated requests for help sent to Maltese authorities, the migrants were reportedly taken back to Benghazi in eastern Libya three days later, Alarm Phone said, citing relatives of the migrants. The U.N. agencies could not immediately confirm it was the same group of migrants reported by Alarm Phone. Separately, eastern Libyan forces said over the weekend they had intercepted a large vessel carrying more than 800 migrants, including entire families and children. Alarm Phone said it was contacted by relatives of some of the intercepted migrants Friday to denounce their detention in Benghazi.

Source: Libya Today May 29, 2023 21:24 UTC