Migrants being returned to Libya while trying to reach Europe 2019-2021

Nearly 12 thousand migrants and refugees were forcibly returned to Libya while attempting to cross the Mediterranean Sea in 2020. In the first three months of 2021, the number already exceeded four thousand.

Every year thousands of migrants try to reach Europe by boat departing from Libya, which has become a transit point between Africa and the European countries. Crossing the Mediterranean Sea is extremely dangerous, with the Central Mediterranean Route from Libya to Italy being the deadliest migration route. To prevent the successful crossing, the European Union and Libya monitor the sea routes, intercept the boats, and return migrants to Libya. However, the country is unsafe. There, people are often held in detention, living in inhuman conditions and suffering violence and abuses.