The International Organization for Migration (IOM) on Monday expressed shock and concern at the discovery of two mass graves in Libya with the bodies of dozens of migrants, some with gunshot wounds, the agency said in a statement.
The IOM statement came hours after Libyan Interior Minister in the Government of National Unity Emad Al-Trabelsi confirmed that his country “would not be a state for settling migrants.”
On Monday, IOM said 19 bodies were discovered in Jakharrah (around 400 km south of Benghazi), while at least 30 more were found in a mass grave in the Kufra desert in the southeast. It is believed that there are as many as 70 bodies in the second grave.
Libya's security authorities recovered at least 28 bodies of migrants from a mass grave in the desert north of Kufra city, the country's attorney general said on its Facebook page on Sunday.
While 76 migrants were freed “from forced detention,” he said.
On Sunday evening, Al-Trabelsi said Libya has deported thousands of irregular migrants to their home countries over the past year.
But he pointed out that the government granted an exempt to Sudanese, Palestinians and Syrians as their countries are going through wars.
The Minister also announced that a trip was scheduled on February 11 for 139 refugees from several countries to be resettled in Italy.
El-Trabelsi discussed with the Italian Ambassador to Libya Gianluca Alberini means to reduce the flow of illegal migrants, and support the efforts of the Libyan Ministry of Interior in combating this phenomenon.
Separately, the United Nations Support Mission announced Monday the conclusion of the inaugural meeting of the Advisory Committee, which lasted two days in Tripoli.
The mission said the committee members held an initial discussion on the main contentious issues related to the electoral framework.
