CAIRO — The U.N. refugee agency reported Friday that the total number of migrants intercepted by the Libyan coast guard in the past month rose 121% from the same period last year. The UNHCR said in January alone, it registered 1,040 refugees and migrants the coast guard stopped and brought back to Libyan shores, a dramatic increase from the 469 rescued that month the year before. The relentless war in Libya has turned the country into a major conduit for migrants fleeing war and poverty in Africa and the Middle East. In its attempts to stem the flow of migrants crossing the Mediterranean, the European Union has trained and funded Libya’s coast guard to keep the migration crisis off its shores. The figures show these efforts have not stopped people from boarding boats and making the journey.

Source: International New York Times February 07, 2020 19:41 UTC